Ever After PART II
by Clairavance
Summary: Sensory deprivation can drive anyone bonkers - even a shadow man. Jenny gets a second chance. Inspired by Faye & Galen. Disc: FG copyright LJane Smith. Faye and Gahiji are MINE.
1. Prologue

Prologue

Cold fingers danced across his physique and curled around him, gently drawing him away from the world – away from Jenny. Her warmth flooded through him even as he slipped from her gentle hands. It was only then that he realized the magnitude of what he'd done. He was dead, cut off from his own world. His mind reeled in amusement. So this is what it was like to die...

He was vaguely aware of the chaos surrounding him. A door slammed shut beside him. A panic-stricken Michael screaming for a knife... a knife...

"You don't need to do that." He would have grimaced at the weakness in his voice if he'd had the strength. "They won't come after you. They don't have a claim anymore."

Didn't they? He wondered, bewildered. There was nothing stopping them... was there? He thought there was but he couldn't recall exactly...

His thoughts were uncharacteristically scattered. He was speaking to Jenny but his voice sounded strange and distant to his own ears. What was he saying to her? He drew a blank. He knew he was trying to put her at ease, to stroke away the guilt he sensed in her aura, to lessen her wistful demeanour but the words he spoke refused to register in his weary mind. He didn't want to leave her with the burden of his death. Jenny would blame herself, would perceive his passing as his blood on her hands. A million things he wanted to say ran through his mind but he strayed to the most important. "...I loved you..." Did she believe him? Doubt added to the confusion whirling inside of him. Hell, he was so tired of this...

"Nothing dies as long as it's not forgotten..." He said quietly. A spark of coherence flashed painfully through his mind...he recalled another voice telling him that before. He had to leave something behind to be remembered by... something solid... a memory would never suffice... the ring.

Even as he thought it he felt the small gold band form in his palm. His hand slid weakly from his chest. Take it... Jenny... take it...

Jenny picked up the ring just as he breathed his last. A sigh of relief and release.

Jenny was gone. Her warmth, her golden glow, her fire that had warmed him evaporated as a dull empty blackness coiled itself around him like a venomous snake.

He thought he would merely stop existing but the fate that awaited him on the other side was merciless. There was no heaven for him and no hell. There was nothing. Absolutely nothing. He couldn't feel his body although he knew it was there. He was suspended in an endless realm so dark that it blinded him. He could hear nothing but the blood rushing through his ears and his heart throbbing in his head. He was alive but for all the wisdom he'd gained throughout the ages he couldn't understand _how_.

It was within the time span of thirty seconds before the deafening and blinding darkness began to drive him mad...


	2. Introduction to Faye

She stretched her tanned legs out in front of her and put her feet up on the garden table, baked a pleasant warmth in the golden sunlight. A crystal bowl of Greek salad stood on the table, her empty plate beside it and the cocktail in her hand nearly finished. Warm brown eyes inspected carefully painted pink toenails with satisfaction, then drifted past her small feet to the breathtaking farmland spread before her in a vast blanket of brilliant green hues. She tore her gaze from the beautiful landscape and focused on the book in her lap. It was one of the million others she owned and her favourite. Content, she resumed her place, sipping on the cocktail every few minutes.

Her relaxed posture transformed dramatically to one of complete tension when the earth shook beneath her and the temperature dropped several degrees. She looked up sharply, glancing around her briefly before leaping from the chair and bolting into the Tuscan villa behind her, sliding the door shut fast and staring out at the scenery wearily. Nothing changed. The sky remained clear and bright, the sun continued to shine its golden light and the green fields were solid.

The tremor vibrated through the walls of the villa and shook her to the core. Her stomach churned involuntarily, goose bumps danced across her arms and a chill ran down her spine. Something inside of her screamed.

"Gahiji!" She called out nervously.

The Shadow Man appeared in a corner of the lounge, beady eyes gazing back at her, amused by her momentary panic. She suppressed a shudder at the sight of him. He'd grown grotesque throughout the centuries, his once stark black hair having thinned out to near non-existence and his flawless pale skin now rumpled from dehydration and discoloured to a sickening off-beat grey. Still she had to admit, he wasn't nearly half as revolting as his companions.

"What is your wish, beautiful Faye?" His voice washed over her comfortingly in a wave of icy smoothness.

Faye sighed and folded her arms across her chest, shivering at the coldness around her. When she was young she used to fall over her own feet and melted when Gahiji swooned her like this.

When she was young. Faye closed her eyes and pressed her fingertips lightly to her forehead. She didn't look a day older than when she first came here. Sixteen years, eleven months and twenty five days. That's how old she was when she escaped from home and came to the Shadow World with Gahiji. She didn't know how long she'd been here as the days sometimes lasted too long and the nights were brief - time was but a fleeting illusion to her mind. She knew Gahiji wouldn't tell her and quite frankly she didn't want to know. She was happy here. Free from the slavery Gahiji had saved her from, free from undeserving punishment, free from chores. Her hands and feet had softened throughout the ages, her bruises healed, her being and confidence restored – her dignity restored.

"Faye?" Gahiji said in a lyrical tone of voice.

She pursed her lips and looked up at him.

"Are you bored? Do you want to play a game?" Gahiji moved around the room with too much ease for such a sickly form - a corpse-like kitten prowling about her playfully. "A game of Senet, perhaps? Hide and Seek?"

"Don't insult my intellect, you fool." Faye glared at him. "What's going on?"

She could sense something was wrong. Something was off. The world outside seemed out of synch somehow – she felt it more than saw it.

Gahiji's thin lips curled into a rotten grin. "Nothing of importance, beautiful Faye. A mere..." Gahiji gestured elegantly with scrawny arms, "Trade taking place. Are you pleased as you are? What is it that you crave and I shall give it to you."

Faye narrowed her gaze at him suspiciously. Human instinct told her he was hiding something big, had been hiding something for a long time from her now. Once again Faye felt as though the entire Shadow World knew some secret she didn't – she was left in the dark while the malicious demons laughed at some joke she wasn't included in. Purposely shut out.

Faye chewed her lip and glanced out the window uncertainly. There was nothing different in his voice or eyes as he offered her entertainment. That's what he usually did, and if it wasn't him, it would be one of the other Shadow Men.

The last time they offered to play a game with her, she'd set the stakes – if she won they had to allow whatever she wanted. Gahiji had for some stupid reason thought she'd want to go back to her own world. She'd won the game – with sly tricks bordering closely on cheating. Her prize – the Stave of Life. She remembered Gahiji patiently teaching her about runes and magical forces and how things worked in his world. They'd been petrified that she would carve out their names. She didn't.

She carved in a new name. She'd been lonely and desperately sought company from a creature not as hideous and deformed as all the others. "We are created in perfection," Gahiji had told her once. To make good use of her time, she created her own masterpiece. She'd have thought it absurd to create another life by simply 'willing' it into existence, but low and behold it was possible even for her in the Shadow world and she'd created a little ray of blinding light for herself. An angel... or what she'd have imagined an angel to look like.

"Anything I crave?" She repeated.

Gahiji's eyes flashed dangerously at her. He knew what she wanted.

"Bring me Julian."

"He will not come. He never does. He's too... preoccupied with other matters." Gahiji replied in a voice filled with impatience.

"He's a _child_ compared to you, for heaven's sake, Gahiji! Bring him to me, I don't care if you have to drag him by the ear." Faye arched her eyebrows at him expectantly.

Gahiiji didn't move.

"Oh for..." Faye cut herself off, grasping hold of her rising temper as her suspicions were confirmed. They were playing with Julian. Again. "What trade is he doing with the others?"

"An irrevocable... trade."

If Faye hadn't known any better she'd have thrown a vase at his head. Instead she stood her ground, lividly staring back at him.

"What trade?" Faye spat.

Gahiji seemed to enjoy her anger and he let her dwell in it for a few minutes longer before answering with a sigh.

"An eye for an eye..."

"No!" Faye snapped and Gahiji looked at her curiously. "Take me to him."

"As you wish."


	3. Jenny

Pine green eyes gazed placidly out the tall windows across the cafeteria, following the shape of the rough oak trees and the warm toned leafs hanging precariously from the dry branches. Autumn blazed through the world in fiery colours and brought along with it the whisper of winter.

Jenny shifted awkwardly. There it was again. That awful sensation of being watched. Narrowing her gaze, she discreetly scanned the students littering the tables. Her breath caught in her throat and she literally jumped when something moved quickly from the corner of her eye. She snapped her head in the direction. For a moment she just stared blankly at the soda on the table in front of her before her gaze darted to the apologetic expression on Tom's face.

"Didn't mean to give you a fright." He said quietly as he settled into the seat beside her.

"It's fine." Jenny cleared her throat, shaking her head dismissively as she straightened up and picked up the soda, offering him a forced smile. "Thanks."

Tom nodded slightly.

For a moment their eyes locked and they gazed at each other wordlessly. She wanted to drown in the familiar warmth of those hazel eyes. Jenny tore her gaze from his and turned her attention back to the conversation swirling freely around the table. Dee and Audrey were in a heated discussion about the upcoming winter dance and what theme would be most appropriate, and Jenny found herself wondering if it had been such a good idea to have volunteered to organize the school function.

When the subject had been broached in class a week ago – by one of the chic cheerleaders who was really only complaining to gain attention and used the student council having no year-end event as her ammo - Jenny hadn't really thought it through when she'd raised her hand and accepted the challenge of hosting it this year.

It was insanity, Jenny realized only afterward. Where it would usually take the entire Student Council of eleven members a period of two months to properly arrange a fantastic dance, she had less than two weeks to arrange it, far too little time to organize something that would make a lasting impression... or rather, a positive lasting impression.

Arranging these things were always a pain, especially with exams looming not far down the line. She'd wondered how she was going to manage her studies and pull the whole affair together but secretly she was relieved to have so much on her plate. It kept her mind from wandering and it was easier to suppress the haunting memories when she was too busy running around to concern herself with the past.

"We want something innovative. Something new." Dee argued heatedly. "Snow has been done before, it's old – it's worn out."

"What else represents winter better than snow?" Audrey demanded. "I think we should stick to a snow land theme."

"Why don't we have a summer theme then?" Summer piped in and won incredulous looks from the other two girls.

"That's..." Dee started.

"That kind of defeats the point of winter, doesn't it?" Zach said gently and Jenny saw his grey eyes flash warningly at Dee.

"Oh, yeah. I just thought... different, you know?" Summer faltered, pushing a hand through her blonde curls and cheeks flushing in embarrassment as she looked away.

"Audrey is right. What is a winter ball without snow?" Tom leaned his elbows on the table and lazily picked up a limp French fry from his plate, pointing it at Summer. "But I think you just might be onto something."

"What about a Hawaiian Luau winter style?" Michael suggested and shrugged when everyone turned to look at him in silence. "Or not. I'll stick to arranging the music."

"Good idea." Audrey arched her eyebrows at him, not appearing amused.

Jenny remained passive throughout lunch period, rarely joining in the conversation. The truth was she already had a theme picked out, she'd already done her research and gotten quotes for cheap decorations and drafted up a menu and booked a professional caterer to set up a buffet. The only thing she hadn't arranged yet was a DJ, but she left the music in Michael's hands. All that was left for her to do was get down to the nitty-gritty hands-on work. She had everything mapped out in her mind, though she saw no reason why to tell her friends that just yet. Jenny didn't want to place the extra pressure on her friends – Dee was already stressed out about exams and Audrey was lost in her studies every available moment, and Summer had literally burst into tears when Jenny had asked her how her reviews were going. No, she didn't want to add the pressure of creating a themed dance on their shoulders. With everything that happened a few months before none of them were the same.

Jenny still didn't know if any of them came out stronger from it or weaker – and she didn't want to find out if it was the latter.

Of course she wasn't entirely solo in this. Zach had offered her a hand with decorations that day once applause for her bravery had died away. She'd seen the mural he was creating briefly – he was as mysterious about his work as always and had told her to take a good long look because she wouldn't see it again until the dance. It had been rough outlines of what had appeared to be stones or bricks, nothing awe-inspiring but with the amount of time he was spending on it, she knew it had to be something really special.

Michael had claimed to organize the music for the dance and lessened the weight of it all on Jenny's shoulders, and Tom…

Jenny glanced at him from the corner of her eye. Tom had changed a lot. He'd become stronger and – though she hated to admit it to herself – he'd become a better person. For that matter, so had she. She pursed her lips wistfully and glanced around at her friends. She could guess what their reactions would be if they were to find out and neither she or Tom were up to facing any demands of explanations or answering inevitable questions. Though Jenny wondered if any of the others would dare tread there at all. It went without saying what was to blame – or rather, who.

The memory of the moment a month before played through her mind again, as clear as crystal. It wasn't as horrible as she'd thought it would be. She didn't break down in tears. She didn't vent out all her anger and pain of being abandoned. Her world didn't fall apart. Her heart didn't stop.

They'd sat alone in her parents' living room on the couch. A black and white movie with poor sound quality from some bygone era had been playing quietly on television. It had been near midnight, everyone fast asleep. She'd known what was coming when Tom had shifted away, releasing her from the comfort of his embrace that she was so familiar with that she rarely noticed it at all.

They'd sat for a long time staring at one another on the couch until finally Tom had said the expected words.

"Thorny… Jenny…you know I care for you deeply…" He'd trailed off, not knowing how to continue.

Jenny was thankful he didn't. She didn't think she would have handled it quite so smoothly if he'd actually spelled it out for her. The 'but' lingered heavily in the atmosphere. I care for you but… it's not the same. I care for you but… I'm not the 

same person. I care for you but… you've changed. The sentence didn't need to be completed because they both knew the unspoken words.

"Is it because of… you know." Jenny hadn't been able to voice the question in her mind ringing with a queer certainty.

Tom had understood and for a second it had looked like she'd slugged him in the gut, but his expression had softened and his voice had been gentle.

"Am I doing this because of Julian?"

Jenny hadn't been able to meet his eyes and had stared at the silent greyscale pictures in motion on the television screen instead. It hurt to hear his name spoken because it brought back the painful memories she'd rather pretend weren't real.

"No." Tom had said quietly. "He's not the reason why." He'd struggled to find the appropriate words, to say them out loud. "It's the things he… revealed to me, the clarity he gave me on our relationship… this is for the best for both of us, Jenny."

Jenny had nodded silently. The tears had been swimming behind her eyes but none strong enough to actually fall from their hold. She'd felt a hollow pit open up inside of her as they'd continued watching the movie, neither really taking it in.

"If you don't mind, Tom." Jenny had said after a while, avoiding looking at him. "I'd prefer we don't say anything to the others. They'll catch on sooner or later."

"Sure. Whatever you want, Jenny."

When Tom went home that evening Jenny didn't feel abandoned. A little hurt, of course – but she thought it was more like the pain of letting go of something you'd grown accustomed to and found comfort in, like packing away a beloved soft toy that had been your emotional survival blanket and facing the real world. Something that had helped shape you into the person you were but that you no longer needed for support.

She felt a release. A freedom so great that it filled her with a wild thrill of excitement but at the same time sobered her to humble fear. Of course she and Tom would remain close friends – it didn't need to be contemplated. But she would no longer have someone to kiss away her tears after a hard day, no one to hold her when she was lonely, no hand to hold in hers when she would go out to the mall. She was single for the first time and it left her nervous and insecure, even as it gave her a different inner strength.

The bell crashed through her reverie and Jenny filed from the cafeteria along with her friends, smiling goodbyes as they dispersed to their separate classes. School dragged by in a blurry routine and before Jenny knew it, she found herself walking down the steps from the school building along with her friends. They were discussing going for hot coco at the local diner before getting together for a study group at Michael's house when Jenny noticed Tom wasn't paying attention to them.

He was staring off into the distance with a look on his face that both startled and confused Jenny. She'd seen that look once before…

A look of complete awe filled his hazel gaze, warming the colour to a deep richness, and a genuinely happy grin touched his lips, tugging them up gently in the corners. Her heart jolted and she wearily followed his gaze.


	4. Tom

Faye leaned against the far wall of the parking lot directly opposite the school entrance, knowing that she would be right in his field of vision when he came out. If he missed her then Gahiji would be right – he was an idiot. She secretly didn't want to give the shadow creature the satisfaction of being right.

Tom Locke wasn't exactly her type as far as appearances were concerned. Hell, if she was into tall, dark and handsome she probably would have swooned at his feet. But it just didn't get her blood pumping, didn't excite her senses – it didn't draw her in. She wouldn't have looked at him twice if it weren't for the connections he had.

It had taken her a good deal of bribing and sly words to gain the necessary information from Gahiji when she discovered to her complete dismay that the other Shadow Men had done away with her own. Which had been a mistake in itself on their part because she knew too much about how things worked with them. They'd taken what didn't belong to them and she'd thrown the classic 'a life for a life' back at them. They'd taken Julian – her shadow man – so she had a claim over them. Even Gahiji was weary of her when she used the brilliant advantage of blackmail against them. It had taken her a while to get the message through to them – she wasn't one of them, even after spending centuries in their world she hadn't lost her humanity. She wasn't playing and she made it clear exactly why there was a saying roaming Earth claiming 'hell hath no fury like a woman scorned'.

Gahiji had been the one to answer her questions about what happened, and the truth about Julian's 'obsessive hobby' to watch some human girl from the sidelines and failing not once, not twice, but three times in winning her over had seemed almost unbelievable to her. Of course Shadow Men were predators by nature, it was to be expected that Julian would stalk his prey before pouncing. The one thing he hadn't taken into account was the fact that he wasn't like his ancestors. Faye couldn't care less how they'd been brought into existence in the first place, but she knew for certain she was the only human being who had ever created a shadow man. The runes she'd carefully carved into the Stave of Life all those years ago were different because she'd stained it with her own blood. If anything, she knew that was what truly made him different from the others – warm blood pulsing with life soared through his veins, a beating heart that had a greater purpose than merely keeping him alive – it enabled him to feel.

If he'd been a hunter through and through, he wouldn't have played three silly games with a bunch of teenagers. He'd have simply taken what he wanted without question, just as Gahiji had, because in the end he was more powerful than a simple human being.

More powerful than a Shadow Man too, Faye thought to herself, scanning the mass of students filing out onto the pavement before her. She knew Julian was big on sportsmanship but that wasn't what had restrained him from claiming what he desired, and it sure as hell wasn't what made him sacrifice himself.

Faye pushed down the writhing anger trying to claw its way out of her chest. She hated Julian for his stupidity – and her own. Blinded by love. Motivated by humanity. She wanted to dig her fingers into his neck and shake him for all she was worth. She wanted to scream at him, take her fury out on him. She didn't know if he would be left standing once she vented herself out but she knew she most definitely wouldn't. He was the closest thing to human she had in that damned world.

Being surrounded by people of her own kind now was slightly daunting, though. She suppressed the irrational impulse to flee back to the world of mist and ice. She'd known their coldness for so long that she'd forgotten the warmth that made people human and it eerily scared her.

Faye straightened out the figure hugging red blouse she wore when she spotted Tom. She'd been apprehensive about how she would approach him at all and when Gahiji had suggested she act like a damsel in distress she'd laughed. She couldn't very well go right up to him and demand he hand over whatever Julian had left behind. Then again, she couldn't exactly approach the girl Julian had been infatuated with in such a straight on manner either. If the girl was as raw about losing him as Faye was…

Instead, Faye went on what had been suggested to her and ended up knocking on Tom's door in the middle of the night, claiming she'd been in some car accident and pretending to be suffering from mild amnesia. To her surprise, Tom had fallen for her lie without a beat. It was equally easy to charm his parents, but then Faye had the creators of deception teaching her the tricks of the trade for a very long time and it was almost like a second nature to her. She'd been staying in their spare bedroom for eight days now, working down Tom's defences which wasn't that hard to do as he seemed to have taken an immediate liking to her.

She could tell by the way he acted whenever she entered the room. He would stumble over his words, his cheeks would heat up when she joked with him, and the nearly overwhelming adoration in his gaze when he looked at her was enough to make her want to jump in the closet and hide. She hadn't experienced emotions equal to her own for too long and she didn't know how to respond to them.

What made matters worse was that she enjoyed his company. He was fun to be around with, a good listener, an even better comforter. She would have dismissed it as nothing important, blamed it on getting used to being around humans again.

That in itself would have been a stupid move for her to make, though. Faye knew it was more than that and admitted that she'd grown quite fond of him in the last couple of days.

Which held potential trouble with a capital T, but she would cross that bridge once she got to it.

Tom spotted her and she slowly smiled at him, watching it spread and cross to his own lips. Faye seized the moment to let her gaze roam over the group of students around him – his friends. She knew who they were because Tom was constantly telling her about them. Summer Parker-Pearson was the fragile fairy-like girl with the bouncy curls and delicate features; Dee Eliade the tall girl with the proud posture of an ancient goddess; Audrey was dressed in the designer label outfit of some or the other and Michael with his wide rumpled appearance stood beside her. Zach was the fair-haired guy – Faye snorted involuntarily at the thought of Julian shifting into that appearance, according to the shadow men, but she always took what they said with a pinch of salt. Finally Faye focussed on the girl that had caught Julian's eye.

Sun-kissed skin, honey-blonde hair, slender. Pretty.

Curiosity gave her legs a will of their own and Faye found herself nervously sauntering toward the group. What was it about this girl that had swooned her little shadow man? What about her had captivated him so? Why would he have died for her sake?

Faye's smile deepened as she joined the group a moment later, looking at Tom warmly before burnt amber eye engaged with deep emerald eye.

"I haven't had the chance to ah… introduce you guys just yet." Tom said awkwardly.

"This is Faye… she ran into some trouble a little while ago and she has nowhere else to go so we took her in… for the time being, I mean."

There were surprised murmurs of greeting from the others. Faye's smile had disappeared as she stared back at the girl before her, Tom's stammering introductions of the others falling upon deaf ears.

_This_ was who Julian was head over heels in love with? Faye wanted to smack her hand to her face in frustration. Why? There was nothing exceptional about her. Not her beauty, not her aura…

"I'm Jenny." The girl said steadily, her voice friendly and the strength in her gaze unwavering.

"I know who you are." Faye responded, an edge to her voice. She grimaced inwardly – she needed to sharpen up on hiding her real emotions because this, she knew, was going to be one hell of a ride. It was going to take all her self control and a lot of skill to befriend this girl. She needed this girl to trust her, open up to her…and reveal to her eventually what Julian had left behind. That's why she was here in the first place. She hadn't told Julian those things in the early stages of his existence for peanuts.

She would have to bite down the angry accusations and contain the wild impulse to tear Jenny apart limb by limb. Faye knew hurting Jenny would be the worst thing she could do. Common sense told her it wouldn't go down well with Julian and if he loved as passionately and deeply as his ancestors hated, she wouldn't want to be playing on the wrong side of the fence.

"Tom has told me a lot about you." Faye's demeanour changed back to its charming state and she managed a warm smile. "It's good to finally meet the infamous Jenny Thornton."

Jenny appeared baffled by the sudden change in attitude. "Infamous?"

"Ah, she's exaggerating." Tom apologized, eyeing Faye suspiciously.

They both knew full well he didn't mention Jenny to her, not once since she'd arrived.

"Do you guys mind if I give the study group a miss?" Tom asked uncertainly.

Faye glanced at him, surprised. "Oh, don't blow off your friends for my sake, Tom. I was just in the neighbourhood and thought I'd catch you and meet your friends."

"Oh, well, uh…" Tom glanced from Faye to his friends, obviously perplexed.

Faye saw Jenny cringe slightly from the corner of her eye and reality's fingertips teased lightly in the back of her mind. What was going on here?

"We're going to the Time-Out diner for hot coco now. You're more than welcome to join us, Faye." Jenny offered.

Flustered, Tom looked away and nervously scratched the back of his head.

"If it wouldn't be intruding…" Faye said slowly.

"Oh, of course not. If you're a friend of Tom's, you're a friend of ours." Jenny said warmly.

All right, Faye admitted to herself. So Jenny was really nice. She had that and the blonde beauty going for her. A good combo, but was it really that amazing to have caught the eye of a shadow man?

Faye joined the group in the short walk to the diner and found it quite amusing and liberating how much she learnt from all of them in the next hour and a half. It was refreshing to be in civilized company again and the sense of belonging had never been this great before.

Zach's quiet presence was dominant even in its passive state, Summer's sometimes obvious statements was entertaining and Michael's off-beat sense of humour was uplifting. Heaven knows, Faye hadn't laughed like that as long as she could remember. Dee was intriguing with her wise remarks and Audrey was interesting as she would bring a different perspective on certain things – some of which the others 

didn't grasp but Faye did. She didn't doubt that Audrey was the most misunderstood in the group. Tom was fretting shyly beside Faye in such an obvious way that it was no secret to anyone around the table what was up –even Summer caught on and kept sending worried glances from Tom to Jenny and then at Faye.

Faye studied Jenny carefully as she interacted with the others, the reserved restraint when she spoke to Faye but still making her feel welcome and at ease, the hesitant manner in which she interacted with Tom, as though she wasn't entirely sure how to act toward him.

There was a thin thread of tension between herself and Jenny though. She could feel it more than see it. Faye assumed it was merely her own grievances she kept hidden but something in the way Jenny looked at her told her there were negative vibes coming from her as well. For a moment, as they all laughed at some random scrap of humour Michael aired out on the table, Faye wondered if Jenny possibly knew why Faye was here. She dismissed it briefly. There was no way they could make the connection between her and Julian – no way whatsoever.

Faye couldn't tell what it was and it frustrated her. It was an unseen obstacle in her path of befriending Jenny – really befriending her, not just using her. If she was going to bring Julian back she needed to be on good terms with the other girl.

Faye was confident that she'd won the friendship of the others when she finally left the diner with Tom on her side but her mind reeled for a possible solution of breaching the wall around Jenny. Her thoughts were interrupted when Tom spoke on the drive home.

"You look beautiful today, Faye."

She glanced at him and offered a smile in response. "You don't look too bad yourself."

Tom pursed his lips, eyes trained on the road ahead of them.

"So… what do you think?"

"About what?"

"My friends." Tom grinned shyly.

"They're… nice." Faye said slowly, wondering how they could have possibly survived whatever ordeal Julian had put them through.

She was informed of how they had treated Julian – especially of how Tom had provoked Julian purposely and how Jenny had seduced him and then struck him down when he was most vulnerable. But once again, Faye took what they said with a pinch of salt. It was insane to provoke Julian – hell, not even his ancestors were that foolish. It was possible that Tom had done it unintentionally, though. And Jenny seducing him and then deliberately hurting him? Faye didn't know Jenny all that well but she could tell she had a good heart on her. She'd be damned if that girl had one bad bone in her body, Faye mused, and wondered suddenly if that was what had attracted Julian to her in the first place. Gut instinct told her it probably played a big role nonetheless.

As for Julian. Well, Faye knew he wasn't blameless. He was the one who had instigated the games, controlled everything that happened. Faye didn't doubt he'd gotten exactly what he deserved. He'd been looking for trouble, luring innocent people into his trap, and teenagers at that. Faye didn't know whether she should laugh at his stupidity or feel sorry for him. True, he didn't know how to cope with emotions, his ancestors weren't exactly clued up on that development and neither was he. But for the sake of sanity, she'd have thought he'd have learnt humans weren't toys after he 'forfeited' the first game of chase. Instead, as a starving hunter would naturally do, he altered his method of attack and tried again. And again he'd 

failed. Adamant love-struck boy. She wished she could clobber him over the head right that moment. After watching the human race for who knows how long you'd expect him to have learnt the tactics of the male race on earth, their subtle and 'normal' method of chasing after girls.

Just like Tom was chasing her now.

"I think they really like you."

"Do you think so?" Faye replied curiously, gazing out the window at the scenery flashing past.

"Sure. Why wouldn't they?" Tom chuckled.

"Do you like me?" Faye teased lightly and grinned when his face turned hot and he stammered for words.

"I…ah, well…" Tom swallowed and cleared his throat uncertainly. "Yeah, I like you."

"Good." Faye sniffed, stretching her legs and then crossing them lazily, gazing out the window before glancing at him playfully. "I like you, too."

She watched in amusement as his face turned a deeper shade of pink and grinned mischievously out the window. A frown creased her face and she looked back at him steadily.

"What's with you and Jenny?"

Tom didn't answer her straight away and she waited patiently until he gathered himself.

"Things are just a little weird between me and Jenny." He finally managed uneasily. "How did you know about her anyway? My mom didn't tell you about her, did she?"

"No." Faye sighed. "I heard about her from my other… sources."

"She's a really great person. You'll see once you get to know her."

"Oh, there's no doubt she's got to be great." Faye mused, chewing her lip thoughtfully and smiled when Tom shot her a confused glance.

"Really, Faye. I mean… Jenny is one of a kind. She's truly a good person. If she acts a little strange toward you it's my fault so don't hold it against her, okay?"

"You were a couple?" Faye asked curiously.

"Yeah." Tom shrugged but she could see the strain on his face.

"If she's so wonderful, why did you split up?"

"We're just… we don't add up, I guess. It's time we move on – it was going to happen one way or the other." Tom sighed heavily.

"What made you decide it was time for a change?" Faye arched her eyebrows.

Tom bit down on his lip and didn't answer. A snorting giggle erupted from Faye's throat involuntarily and she widened her eyes innocently when he glanced at her, startled. She knew the answer just by his manner of hesitation. Julian. Obviously.

"I'm sorry, Tom. I'm not laughing at you, I swear. It's just… it's all good, right? If it wasn't for… you deciding to move on, then there would be no chance for you and me, right?"

"You and me?" Tom repeated, eyes widening in slight surprise.

"Well... I like you, you like me. In the laws of physics if opposites attract… then why not?" Faye grinned and leaned closer to him, whispering in his ear. "There is chemistry between us, whether anybody else approves of it or not."

Tom smiled at her uncertainly but she knew by the look in his eyes that she had him wrapped around her finger. Oh, the skill of seduction. What a blessing to have such a talent come to you naturally, Faye thought gleefully.


	5. Faye and Jenny showdown

Jenny couldn't remember ever being so angry before in her life. In the past couple of weeks since Faye came stumbling into Tom's life – and eventually into hers – not even throwing herself into her studies or arranging the dance served sufficient to distract her from the mounting resentment.

She should be happy for Tom because in honesty, he was really happy. Not in a way to offend her, or hurt her, but he was just simply happy. She ought to be happy that Tom was better off with someone else. She didn't want him to be miserable but then she couldn't exactly cope with him being so cheerful all the time either. He would be as normal as usual around them but once Faye stepped into the room, Jenny didn't seem to exist to him anymore and his face lit up in a way that she was convinced it never had with her.

She was ready to move on, Jenny knew she was. It still wasn't very easy for her to see Tom with someone else. What got to her even more was that Faye was the opposite of Jenny. Her darker beauty contrasted with Jenny's fairness, long thick swirls of rich mahogany framing an angelic face and eyes as warm and heated as fire, moving her voluptuous figure with such confidence and grace that not even Jenny could help but envy her.

Regardless though, Jenny had to admit that Faye was considerate toward her feelings, even though she had no reason to be. When Jenny would join them, Faye would discreetly disengage her hands, her figure, and occasion even her lips from Tom and she would distance herself from him in such a casual, subtle manner that the only person who really noticed was Jenny. It wasn't just for show either. Jenny could tell Faye really liked Tom, too. The coldness that lingered around Faye would melt away when she looked at him, the hardness that crept into her voice and gaze would diminish with his mere presence in the next room.

Plus, Faye obviously really wanted to be friends with Jenny. It didn't pass by her how the other girl would go that extra mile, put in the extra effort that her own friends rarely did.

Jenny shook herself mentally and gathered her thoughts as they decorated the gym. The buffet table and DJ podium had already been placed in position, the tables and chairs for that evening stationed in their assigned spots. Michael was checking the speakers and music equipment were in working order while they waited for Zach and Tom to arrive with the mural. Neon blue Christmas lights were strung across the ceiling and paper snowflakes that Jenny had hand-made along with her friends were strung from the ceiling at various lengths, giving the impression of falling snow. The tables were decorated with white tablecloths and stretches of light blue chiffon spread across that, the edges purposely shredded to give the rough impression of icicles. Unlit candles in white crystal vases stood in carefully selected places on the tables and an enormous glass decoration of a snowman filled with Styrofoam snowballs stood as a centrepiece behind the buffet. An enormous pile of white quilt stuffing lay heaped up against the wall, waiting for her to spread it throughout the gym. Summer and Audrey were spraying the tables with fake snow and Dee was readjusting the archway made of white lights and icicles by the podium, laughing along with Michael as he tested the equipment. A snowy nook had been erected in one corner where photos would be taken at a slight fee. Jenny glanced around the gym worriedly. She knew it would look different that evening but she couldn't help but feel she hadn't done enough.

"Sometimes less is more."

Jenny jumped and looked at Faye beside her sharply. It was unnerving how the girl somehow seemed to read her thoughts. Faye smiled reassuringly.

"Besides. I saw the mural Zach made."

"You saw the mural?" Jenny repeated, surprised.

Faye nodded and gave her a sly glance. "He's really, really talented. He showed it to me a couple of days ago."  
Jenny didn't respond and held herself under iron control. Her jaw wanted to drop to the floor and her eyes threatened to bulge from their caskets, but she held onto herself. It somehow felt like Zach had betrayed her – refusing point blank to let her see it but then inviting someone who was practically a stranger to go view it before her? Jenny licked her lips, forcing down the anger welling up again.

She knew it was irrational for her to feel like that. Faye was trying to smooth things over, after all.

They all turned to look when the gym doors opened and Zach and Tom came inside, carrying large canvasses under their arms and Jenny sat down to watch as the guys set up the mural all along the four walls. She'd been right when she'd thought it looked like large bricks, Jenny mused as she watched the mural taking form in splendour. It was a wall of ice slabs, painted so realistically that she had to suppress the ridiculous urge to run her fingers across the grooves between the slabs. It was getting late far too quickly and they all dispersed to go get dressed for the dance.

Jenny dressed in a simple ball gown of ivory lace and gentle wine red silk. She did her own makeup and was pleasantly surprised at how professional it ended up coming forth as. Jenny didn't have much time to waste as she hurried back to the school to make sure everything was in place.

Her hurried pace slowed when she strolled into the gym. She'd thought she would be the only one there before the others arrived but instead she saw Faye moving an odd looking box across the floor. Faye glanced up briefly, noted her presence, then continued to plug the machine into the wall. There were five more of them spread throughout the gym, some nearly hidden beneath a few tables.

"Fog machines." Faye explained at Jenny's bewildered gaze. "I thought it would give a good effect."

"That's really great, Faye… shouldn't you be getting ready? The caterers should arrive with the food any second now and…" Jenny started.

"I know Julian gets off on dressing up but I'm not a fan." Faye smiled sheepishly and motioned to the white Victorian sleeved blouse she had on and the simple white jeans that clung to her like a second skin.

"Are you…" Jenny paused and sighed. "Okay, well maybe you could…"

The words froze on her lips and her eyes widened when Faye's words sunk in. The smile faded from Faye's lips and they stared at each other for a long time in utter silence.

"What did you say?" Jenny whispered, part of her wanting to run away and cover her ears from the answer.

Faye hesitated and cringed. "Tom told me he's the reason you two broke up."

"Oh." Jenny let out her breath nervously. Why would Tom talk about her to Faye – and why would he mention Julian, of all things? "Well…"

Words failed her and her mind drew up a blank.

"Do you love him, Jenny?" Faye watched her carefully, her voice gentle.

"Wh…Tom?" Jenny asked, bewildered. "I don't think we should talk about this…"

"We have to talk about this. We need to talk about this. I need to know right now, Jenny, give me the honest-to-god truth. Do you love Julian?"

Jenny's mouth went dry and she stared, a whirlwind of forgotten emotions whipping up inside of her and scorching her heart with painfully sweet memories. Faye waited 

for her answer, her gaze slowly drifting through the room before looking at Jenny expectantly, patiently.

"Did you ever tell him you loved him?" Faye asked persistently.

Jenny shook her head numbly. "I don't want to talk about this, Faye. Least of all with you, okay?" Her voice trembled and defied her.

Jenny made to walk away but Faye seized her firmly by the shoulder and spun her around, her face inches from Jenny's and her piercing gaze holding hers steadily.

"It's a simple yes or no answer that I want, Jenny. Do you love Julian?"

Jenny's hurt transformed into a terrifying anger she didn't know she could ever create and she shoved Faye's hands away from her.

"What the hell does it matter whether I loved him or not? He's dead!" Jenny snapped furiously. "Oh! Tom neglected to mention that little tit-bit to you?"

Faye didn't reply but her diverted gaze spurred Jenny on. "Do you really want to know about him, Faye? Do you want to hear the horrible details of why he died to protect me and my friends? Do you want to know the horrors that he made us face?"

Faye watched her wearily, gaze pained as she followed Jenny's pacing form.

"He _stalked_ me since I was five years old and he was insane… he tricked me into playing demented games with him and every time… every time…" Jenny broke off and turned away, wrapping her arms around herself and glaring at the floor through her tears.

"Jenny, I'm sorry…" Faye said quietly beside her.

Jenny's throat clogged up and the ache in her chest was near unbearable.

"I never told him." Her voice was thick with tears and came out a whimpering whisper.

Faye slid a slender arm around Jenny's shoulders. "I'm sure he knew, Jenny."

Jenny could only shake her head, wiping at hot tears that streamed unstoppably across her cheeks. She paused and blinked at the simple gold band around her finger and broke out into a fresh wave of tears.


	6. Truth revealed

Faye puckered her lips and wrinkled her nose as she glanced uneasily around the gym before turning her gaze back to Jenny. She hadn't meant to make her cry. Hell, it was the last thing she wanted to do.

"It's a heroic death to sacrifice himself for you and your friends," Faye said and slid her hands into her pockets with a heavy sigh. "But it was a stupid way to go out, too. Lord knows where he's now and what's become of him."

Jenny seemed to gather herself and stared back at Faye with a look of such disbelief on her face that Faye couldn't hide the smile it evoked from her.

"Anywhere is better than where he was." Jenny whispered.

"I have my doubts." Faye answered evenly and softened slightly. "Look, Jenny. I would really like for you and me to be friends. It will make things easier for everyone involved. Especially for me."

Jenny blinked at her, stumped.

"As much as I would love to spend more time on our blossoming friendship," Faye's words were cold and her gaze determined. "I unfortunately lack that luxury. I've wasted enough time as it is. I'm here to find Julian."

"He's gone…" Jenny frowned, confused.

"And I'm here to bring him back."

Jenny stepped away, startled and staring in denial and terror.

"What are you talking about?"

"When I created him," Faye bit each word of distinctly, anger increasing with every syllable. "I had to be innovative and use my own little magic." Faye stepped toward her dangerously. "If I didn't, he really would be dead now and I wouldn't be here. What did he leave you, Jenny?"

"You… you created him?" Jenny repeated blankly and literally stumbled when Faye advanced another threatening step.

"Time is of the essence, Jenny, and the clock's a tick-tick-ticking. Nothing ever dies as long as it's not forgotten. What did he leave behind?"

Faye noted Jenny send a fleeting glance at the ring on her finger and seized her wrist with cat-like reflexes, inspecting the poesy ring curiously.

"You're… you… what are you? Are you a shadow creature? Are you his ancestor?" Jenny demanded in terror and Faye burst out in full out laughter, dropping Jenny's hand and stepping away.

"What do you want?" Jenny cried, agitated.

"What's going on?" Dee's voice resounded through the gym and Faye's laughter subsided into giggles as Jenny spun around to face her friends who had appeared.

"Caterer's here." Michael noted and turned to go help.

"What's so funny?" Tom draped his arm around Faye's waist, looking at her curiously and planting a tender kiss on her lips before looking at Jenny. He did a double take and frowned in surprise at her tear-streaked face.

"Ah." Faye sniffed and straightened out her blouse before looking at Jenny evenly. "What I want is simple, Jenny. I want us to be on good terms. And I want what is rightfully mine."

"Were you two fighting?" Audrey asked, shocked as she looked from one to the other.

Faye arched her eyebrows and sighed. "You can give that to me after the dance tonight. I don't want to spoil the evening for everyone else and I can guarantee you, things are going to be pretty fickle for the rest of the night."


	7. The dance

Faye counted the dragging hours as the dance started and students arrived. She danced a couple of times with Tom and watched Jenny from the corner of her eye. The girl wasn't enjoying the dance at all, looking at Faye as though she was a spider that could launch at her at any given second.

Faye had to restrain herself from the temptation to pull the fire alarm and cut the dance short. There was a lot of effort put into the whole thing and she didn't want to be the one to kill it for everyone else. She was nervous as she waited through the long hours, anxious for the people to fizzle out and go home. She didn't touch the food and was sitting with her fifth cup of hot coco, watching the beautiful display. The fog machines were working wonders, the thick white misty fingers dancing past the feet and shins of the dancers. The candles on the tables added a golden light to the room and the blue lights from above illuminated blue snowflakes in eerie beauty.

Her mind kept straying to the task at hand. Her hands itched to grab that ring. Just one touch – Jenny didn't even have to take it off her finger. Faye just needed to put her fingertip to it and Julian would be right there.

She sent another quiet prayer of relief and thanks that she'd added the twist in her creation way back then. She would hate to think what would have happened if she'd decided not too at the last moment, but Faye had known enough about the shadow men to know there was always some underlying trick beneath everything.

When Faye had spoken out her claim, they'd all been caught off guard. It had been tempting to cut out all their names from the stave, she admitted, because they were all equally guilty of taking Julian away from her.

They'd been equally fearful when she pointed out she didn't necessarily have to take any of their lives and true, Faye wouldn't have wanted to be near the Shadow World if she'd carved Julian's name back into the stave. Revenge would have been at the top of his list and she grimaced to think what evil he would have come up with. Something nightmares were made of, certainly.

But Faye didn't opt for either choice they gave her. There would be no point in wiping out their entire race and it would serve no purpose but to bring Julian back to his prison of darkness if she'd carved his name back.

Instead, Faye claimed back what was rightfully hers. Her own life. She knew the shadows were watching her, even at that moment. She would have given anything to see their reactions when they realized what she was about to do. Everyone won except for them. So much for humans being intellectually retarded, Faye thought snidely. She was free, and before the sun rose the next morning, Julian would be on her side gloating in freedom.

Silly, blinded, dumb boy, Faye shook her head again and sighed when Tom pulled her close. If he'd just come to her all this could have been avoided, but then again they probably wouldn't be in this ideal situation either.

Faye was prepared for what lay ahead and she studied Tom for a long moment. She'd need to warn him, though, and make things crystal clear to him before Julian showed up. It would be easier to reason with Tom, she knew. What condition Julian would be in physically and mentally was beyond her imagination, and that made him a walking time-bomb, at least for the first few hours.

She would hate for him to snap. They weren't in the shadow world anymore – whatever he destroyed here wouldn't magically repair itself again.

It felt like forever before the students gradually began to disappear. It was quarter to one in the morning when the last group finally left. Faye didn't waste any time and locked down the gym doors securely behind the retreating backs of the students.

The small group of friends were congratulating a pale and shaking Jenny on a job well done. Silence roared when Faye yanked the plugs from the walls and the fog machines stopped and the music ended abruptly.

Faye wiped her palms on her legs and walked over to them.

"Tom." Faye smiled at him sweetly.

He pulled her to him with a warm smile and she cupped his face gently as they kissed. When they finally broke apart, Faye could tell the others were still struggling to get used to seeing Tom with another girl.

"Okay. Look. Tom." Faye breathed in deeply. "There's something you need to know."

Jenny stared at her fearfully.

"I came here, to this town, for one sole reason. To resurrect Julian." Her words carried clearly through the gym.

There was complete silence then.

"He's not going to like it much and as far as I'm aware, you two don't exactly see eye to eye." Faye sighed. "He's very… territorial so it would be best if he doesn't know about you and me for a little while."

"Wait… what?" Tom's features crunched up in bewilderment, and something like fear seeped into his gaze as he took a startled step away from her.

"I don't know what he's going to do and I don't know what exactly he's capable of here but… the thing is if he strikes out there's not much I can do about it. We're not in the shadow realm anymore and runes don't work as well here as they do there."

"R-r-r-resurrect J-Julian?" Michael repeated the words in stammering terror.

Faye looked at him and nodded.

"How do you even know about him?" Dee demanded, frowning from Jenny to Tom and then finally at Faye.

Faye smiled in response.

"She created him." Jenny said quietly.

For a brief moment everyone stared at her before they backed away from Faye wearily.

"It might be a very good idea to keep your distance. Stay out of his line of sight and keep quiet. Just until I get through to him." Faye licked her lips.

"What if you don't get through to him?" Jenny asked uncertainly.

"Well then this would be a very bad idea, wouldn't it?" Faye replied and motioned with her hand. "I'll be lenient toward you, Jenny. Put the ring on the floor and hide with the others. And don't come out until I say you can."

"You don't know what you're doing." Audrey said, her voice clipped. "You don't know how evil he is…"

"What he put us through… I can't even begin to put into words…" Tom shook his head, confused and terrified.

"Right. Just like he can't put into words how sorry he is for doing those things to you in the first place." Faye arched her eyebrows. "I think sacrificing himself for your sake screams out a very heart-felt and meaningful apology, don't you?"

"I can't do this again…" Jenny sobbed and Faye watched in dismay as Dee put her arm around the girl comfortingly.

"Jenny, please. Bear with me here. He won't hurt you."

"We won't let you do this. Whoever – whatever you are." Dee glared at Faye.

"Ooh. Low blow." Faye pretended to wince as she clutched at her stomach and then straightened, smiling broadly.

"I can't face playing another game…" Jenny shook her head. "Please, don't make me do this again…"

Faye snorted. "A game? What - to abduct you to the Shadow World and make you his ice queen? Don't be ridiculous, Jenny. He can't get back to the Shadow World even if he tried."

"You don't know that…"

"Of course I do." Faye flashed her a cheeky smile. "I created him, after all."

"We won't let you." Dee repeated firmly and Faye felt annoyance flare up inside of her as Tom took a stand behind them.

"I didn't ask for your permission." Faye said begrudgingly, then glared at Jenny and her voice rose. "And don't you dare lie and say you wouldn't have done the exact same thing, Jenny. You wanted to save him but you didn't know how. I'm here to save him because I can."

For a moment their eyes locked and all they could do was stare at each other. The others were milling around them like a flock of lost sheep, fear etched on their faces.

Slowly Jenny pulled the ring from her finger, carefully went down on her haunches and placed the ring gingerly on the floor before gracefully straightening up again, her gaze never wavering from Faye's.

"I hope you're right." Jenny whispered quietly.

Faye pursed her lips and waited until they all melted into the shadows in the far corner of the room before eyeing the ring on the floor in front of her. She hoped she was right, too.


	8. Julian resurrected

Eternal darkness. His voice had given in a long time ago. He knew this solely by the burning in his throat and the deliberate dryness in his mouth. He couldn't hear his own voice though he knew for certain he was screaming from the bottom of his chest, his body straining against the effort. Now he could feel nothing. Taste nothing. Hear nothing. Smell nothing. Endless. Brutal. Maddening.

There was a sudden sucking noise around him, so loud and abrupt in the silence that it shook him to the core. Then the sound of pathetic whimpering filled his ears. This frightened him more than the silence before had. Through all the ages of his existence he'd never heard anyone or anything whimper in such distraught terror. It chilled even him, and that was saying a lot – as a Shadow Man he thrived on fear. But this…

It made his blood run cold, made him want to cover his ears and run like hell. It wasn't until he noted that the whimpering increased along with his fear that a scattered unreal notion dawned on him that the wretched sounds were coming from him. He breathed in deeply, felt his chest expand, then breathed out slowly. Again. Again. He was curled into a ball and on something cold and hard and smooth. His knees were pressed up tightly against his chest. His eyes were closed though he could see light even through his closed eyelids. Feeling returned to his limbs and he felt control resume its rightful place in his hands.

Along with control came the paralyzing wave of pure hatred, the desire to destroy those that had hurt him. He was going to tear whatever was closest to him into a million shreds…peel their flesh from their bones… dwell in their screams of pain… drink in the horror in their eyes…

Footsteps beside him, light and quick, retreating. His body ached as he uncurled himself painfully slowly from the foetal position he'd been in. He spread out his arms, flexed his muscles back into being. He rolled his head on his neck, the revolting sounds of creaking bones like music to his ears. Then he caught the familiar scent and turned his head in the direction from whence it came. He opened his eyes, squinted at the dim lights before fixing on the figure not too far away from him, sitting on her knees and looking right back at him.

He slowly rose to his feet and amusement played through him momentarily as the girl shadowed his movements. He turned to face her squarely and took a sidestep. She imitated him. He took another. She did the same.

He circled her, watching. She moved with him as though she predicted his next movement. It was like watching himself in the mirror – no matter how hard he tried, she moved exactly like he did. He took a step toward her. She did the same.

Another step, and another. A sneer spread across his lips and he took another step.

This time the girl didn't imitate him. She stood rooted to the spot, blazing eyes staring back at him wearily.

"Where am I?" His voice was weak and hoarse.

"Earth." The girl replied simply.

Julian scanned the Winter Land theme around him.

"Looks like I missed some party."

"Yes, you did."

"Who brought me back?"

"Moi." She motioned to herself gracefully.

"You." Julian repeated, amused. "What is it that you desire?"

"You, Aljunnu." The reply was honest.

"And what can I do for you this lovely evening?"

She wasn't the first human to show off her knowledge of genies and shadow men. He loved this game – he'll have some fun before he killed her. His fingers ached to seize her, he longed to spill blood. The rage within him boiled.

The girl paced slowly, watching him closely. Stalling him, he realized in amusement.

"Name it and I shall give it to you." He said gently. He was good at persuading things, especially humans. This one didn't seem to flinch at his tactics though.

"Where have you been?" She asked instead.

"Nowhere."

"Nowhere?"

"Waiting for you." He felt a disturbing sense that his words weren't entirely hollow. Had he been waiting for her?

Regardless, he saw his words had an effect on her. Something flashed in her warm ruby brown eyes and she tilted her head to the side, studying him as he was studying her.

"You don't remember where you were?"

"What matters is that I am where I'm meant to be."

She smiled. "Yes. On Earth."

"You summoned me for a reason." He pressed lightly.

"I didn't summon you." Her smile deepened.

"You called upon me."

"Yes."

"What is it that you want?"

The girl sighed – and took a step back.

"You tell me, I tell you. What is it that you desire?" She retorted.

She was good at this game. Too good, Julian found it humorous.

"World peace," Julian paced along with her, matching her steps as she had matched his earlier. "To cure all disease. To dance among the stars. Now, you."

"Famine to become a taboo. To spit in Hitler's face. To speak the language of all animals." She was mocking him. "Your turn."

"You are not aware of the rules on how this works, are you?" Julian narrowed his gaze at her.

"There are no rules." She didn't look at him as she stared down at her feet, pacing slowly.

"Of course there are. You called upon me. It is only tradition that I grant you three wishes. Whatever you desire."

"In return for my soul?" The girl eyed him wearily. "I think I'll pass."

She was too smart, he realized. It intrigued him.

"Why did you call on me if you have no wishes?"

The girl paused and looked at him. "Finally you ask the right question. Why would I?"

"Why would you?" He repeated, facing her.

"Why would I?" She cocked her head to the side, dark hair falling like silk around her face.

For a long moment they stared at one another, neither moving. She sighed, the soft breath echoing through the empty room.

"Why would I?" She repeated again, arching her eyebrows at him.

"If you have no wishes… I can offer you a game…"

She blew out her breath and started to pace again.

"What makes you think this is a game?" she asked casually.

"Is there anything to make me think it's not?" He replied.

"You're here. On Earth. I want no magic, no power, no knowledge. I'm not asking you for anything. I'm not playing with you and I'm sure as hell not going to let you play with me." She folded her arms across her chest and looked at him. "C'mon now. You're a bright little spark. You figure it out. Why are you here?"

Julian didn't respond this time. Instead his temper flared up and he glared at the girl. Impudent pathetic human. For all the nerve she had she certainly didn't know what she was up against. As though she read his mind, she spoke again.

"I'm not provoking you, Julian. I'm trying to jog your memory."

"I have too many memories. Which is it that you would like to hear? Better yet, I could show it to you." He replied smoothly.

"No." Her answer was firm and heeded no room for disobedience. She paused, then flicked something small toward him. He caught it easily in the palm of his hand and stared at the ring curiously.

"A sixteenth century poesy ring."

"Mmm, yes." She smiled.

"It was used to be exchanged between lovers as tokens of their affection."

"Correct."

"This is supposed to jog my memory?" He looked at her incredulously.

Her defined features crumbled and there were tears in her eyes.

"Julian, what happened to you? Where were you?"

Something inside of him jarred to an abrupt halt and he stared at her curiously. Strange how she would know his name and utter it with such familiarity.

"Nowhere. Everywhere." He teased.

She tilted her head back and stared up at the fake snowflakes before looking at him again.

"You were dead."

Julian studied the ring another second and closed his palm, smiling. "Define dead."

The ring vanished.

"I resurrected you."

"Interesting."

The girl actually laughed, a bitter cold laugh that vaguely rang bells in the far back of his mind.

"Okay, okay. Let's try a different approach." She breathed deeply. "Do you know the story of Hades and Persephone?"

"Of course I do. I am Hades."

"No. You were Hades."

"I find your riddles dull and without meaning." He sighed and slowly advanced toward her.

The girl stopped in her tracks when he moved closer, holding his gaze evenly. His hunter instincts were slightly dented when his prey made no attempt to flee.

"I'm the bogeyman. I'm the monster in your closet. I bring you nightmares in your sleep. I'm Loki…"

"Just like you're Gahiji's personal toy?" She cut him off.

Julian stopped. Stared. "Gahiji." He repeated.

"Your ancestor."

Julian glared at her. He loathed his ancestors, especially Gahiji…

"The one who created you."

Julian actually laughed at this, his voice echoing like sharp waves crashing into rock.

"Gahiji did not create me." He was right in front of her now.

"No? Then who did, Julian?"

Memory crashed into him and he stared down into eyes like autumn blaze. Recognition dawned on him. Words fled his mind like startled pigeons and he stood, immobile.

"You sacrificed yourself for Jenny. Do you remember that, Julian?"

He closed his eyes. Of course he remembered. How could he have forgotten…

It was a trick. A horrible prank. His elders were playing with him again. The tension in the atmosphere mounted to a sickening heaviness.

"Where am I?" He demanded.

Fear filled the warm gaze staring back up at him.

"On Earth."

"Who brought me here?"

"I did."

"Why?"

"To save you."

"From what?" He seized her arms angrily, his face inches from hers.

She offered no resistance to his physical roughness.

"Yourself." She said quietly but the word resounded through his head with an unmasked ring to it.

He let her go abruptly and stepped away, struggling to gain control of the conflicting emotions inside of him. He heard her sigh of relief. He stood frozen for a moment before looking at her sideways. The hardened expression on his face softened.

"Faye… I nearly killed you." He breathed – and sank weakly to the floor, staring at her.

The look on her face told him she'd been aware of that risk as well.

"You're free now." She said mutedly.

"And you?"

Faye smiled reassuringly. "We're both free."

Julian watched her kneel in front of him. "You're no longer a Shadow Man. You don't belong in the shadows anymore."

"Don't I?" He wasn't convinced.

"Every night has a day."

He blinked at her, startled.

"Your place is here now. With the living."

"What pact did you…" He frowned worriedly.

"Please, Julian. I'm not dumb. There is no pact. No claim."

"That's not possible."

"It's not impossible either."

"I can't exist here."

"Yes you can."

He hated feeling like this – a feeling of such vulnerability that he wanted to tear down the walls and release the frustration of whatever hold she had over him. He slowly rose to his feet and held his hands down to her. Her skin was warm against his as she slid her hands into his and he pulled her to her feet.

He paused. Cocking his head to the side he listened, then turned his gaze to a dark corner of the room and narrowed his eyes. He stepped away from Faye.

"Who's hiding in the dark?"

"Your friends."

Julian stopped and turned to face her, stumped. "Pardon?"

"You do have friends, you know. Even if you don't want to view them in that light."

"Uh-huh." Julian eyed her suspiciously before turning back to the shadows. "Come out of there before I come fetch you."

To his amusement, a small girl with bouncing curls shot out of the darkness like a fire bolt, round blue eyes staring back at him in total fear. Faye chuckled as she joined his side and slipped her arm around his back.

"He's harmless… for now. Come on out." Faye sighed.

Julian watched in total fascination as they emerged from the dark. First Dee, who hurried to support a trembling Summer. Audrey and Michael. Zachary. He felt his heart convulse in his chest.

Jenny and Tom were the last to come forth.

"Jenny…" He breathed, her name filling him with a shocking sweetness that all but consumed him.

**A/N**: That's it, unfortunately. I have a bad habit of never being able to end a story. Heaven knows I just carry on and on and on and on... So I thought I'd just end it here. It's just drabble anyway. Didn't know where I was going with it really, except for Jenny and Julian living 'happily' ever after.


	9. The Verdict

**A/N:**_Well, after getting some positive feedback I thought I'd oblige to the sincere requests to continue the story of Julian and Jenny. To say that I'm surprised to have gotten any reviews at all would be an understatement – in reality I would have even welcomed negative criticism (I'm just happy that someone actually took the time to read my madness). In case I haven't mentioned this before, all characters and the concept of the Forbidden Game are copyright belonging to L.J Smith. Faye and Gahiji are my own figments so please refrain from using them – they don't like to be used ;)_

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"Can I trust you?"

Julian tilted his head to the side to give a sidelong look at Faye. "You need confirmation?"

Faye arched her eyebrows and smiled knowingly before linking her arms deliberately through Tom and Dee's and steering them toward the gym doors.

"We won't be long!" Faye called over her shoulder.

Julian watched the others follow like the spineless sheep they were. He silently applauded Faye for picking the leaders of the group to lure them away. The girl was sharp. His gaze followed them across the gym. He saw the resistance in Dee and especially in Tom but Faye was stronger than she looked and propelled them through the doors. With the firm sound of the doors closing securely and now left alone, Julian turned to Jenny.

She seemed to radiate with a golden warmth and he had to restrain himself from reaching out to try capture her essence in his arms. There was fear written over her beautiful face. Fear. It stunned him momentarily. He was so accustomed to observing that emotion that it hardly dawned on him that in Jenny's case, it counted against him.

Julian kept his ground, afraid that the slightest movement toward her would set her bolting for the door.

"How long have I been gone?" He asked when no other words would come to mind. He didn't really care how long he'd been dead for and he would rather not dwell on it. But anything would do to break the awkward silence between them.

"I don't... I didn't exactly keep count of the days." Jenny replied harshly.

Julian pursed his lips and looked steadily back at her. Her fear made her angry, and anger gave her courage. He'd always found her anger intriguing – the pink flush across her cheeks, her bright eyes turning a deeper shade of green, her pulse pounding in the side of her neck.

It didn't surprise him in the least that she hadn't missed him, though he wouldn't admit to it that it wounded him nonetheless. Still, he knew she must have thought about him on occasion.

"You look beautiful, Jenny."

She did. The wine red ball gown complimented her emerald eyes and silk-like mane of gold. Again he had to restrain himself from the impulse to weave his fingers through the golden smoothness and savour the soft texture.

There were the tell-tale signs that she was attracted to him – the subtle hints of uncontrollable human body language. Her pupils dilated when she looked at him and the blood rushing to her supple lips tinged them a slightly deeper shade of pink.

Jenny's cheeks flushed red and this time he knew it wasn't because of anger. A coy smile spread across his lips when she looked away from him stubbornly.

"Do you hate me for what I've done?" Julian asked quietly, hoping she didn't but knowing that it was more than likely.

"I..." Jenny looked back at him blankly, turmoil swimming behind her eyes. "Sometimes."

Julian winced inwardly.

"But then... you laid down your life for me, and Tom, and the others..." Julian gritted his teeth and fought against the compulsion to ram his fist into the floor at the sound of that name, "And you saved us. I don't know what to think... I don't know what else to say." Jenny faltered awkwardly.

"I did it for you." Julian said through his teeth.

If it had been a planned occurrence and he hadn't been rushed into the decision as he had, Tom would have been the last person on Julian's 'to save and protect' list. But Julian hadn't bargained on his ancestors getting involved at all – it had been a split second decision, one that would have been completely different if he'd been aware of his brooding elders' approaching interference.

"Why did Faye decide to bring you back?"

Julian paused and looked at Jenny curiously. Hell, he'd be damned if he knew. Instead of voicing his thoughts, he merely shrugged.

"I don't care why. What matters is that I'm here... with you."

Jenny retreated a step from him wearily, watching him apprehensively.

"What do you want, Julian?" She nearly sobbed.

"I want you, Jenny. I've always wanted you." Julian answered, startled that she would ask when the answer was too obvious to miss. He wondered if she was only looking for reconfirmation on his motives... or maybe she was hoping he'd changed his mind.

"But... why?" Jenny frowned, shaking her head and looking past him.

"Why? Jenny, haven't we been through this before?" Julian asked, genuinely confused. Was it just him or were there really repetitive events between them?

Jenny didn't respond in the way he'd expected she would but it filled him with a tinge of hope. She met his gaze evenly and she was sincere when she spoke again.

"I don't think I can trust you, Julian. How do I know you're not going to trick me into going back to your world with you? I don't know..."

"Jenny, I would do anything to make you believe I'm not going to hurt you." Julian attempted to confine the growing seed of hope inside of him, refusing to let it show in his voice or gaze. He knew Jenny wouldn't yield to him this easily. He knew it even as part of him refused to accept it. "Your happiness is all that matters. I'll give you whatever you desire – name it and it's yours."

Julian leaned against the wall casually, watching her as she chewed her lip thoughtfully, drinking in her fair beauty. He straightened up when she nodded and closed her eyes.

"I want time." Jenny let out her breath and looked back at him cautiously, then added as method of explanation. "To think things through."

Julian didn't know whether he wanted to laugh or ram his head into the wall. Time? Isn't that what she had while he was gone? Wasn't that a sufficient amount of time for her to reflect on herself, and that arrogant prick, and _him_? He was stumped that they were still together, that Jenny hadn't come to accept the fact that she would be better off without Tom. Of course, it didn't surprise him in the least that the git himself hadn't come to the realization that Jenny was far too good for him – Julian somehow doubted the prude had the intellect to differentiate between right and wrong.

Still, Julian mused, he must have had some sort of influence on Jenny. She was standing in front of him and negotiating with him, wasn't she? Good thing too, Julian thought to himself. He was tired of chasing after her though he knew if she was to run he would pursue her in a heartbeat.

"Then time you'll have." Julian made a slight gesture with his hand.

Jenny hesitated. "Tom will let you know when I've had enough time."

Julian refrained from glaring at her and studied the decorations in the gym instead. Tom, Tom, Tom. Nothing's changed at all – she was still as dependent on the moron as she was in the beginning.

They both turned at the sound of the gym doors opening and Tom came storming inside, a dark shadow across his face. Julian turned to face him, crunching his knuckles in anticipation and the muscles in his arms flexing with preparation. Oh, he'd been waiting for this...

"Do you see? I _told_ you they're only talking!" Faye's voice cut furiously through the tension and Tom was hauled to an abrupt halt by her firm hands.

Tom whirled on her and shouted back just as angrily. "You! You lied to me! You _used_ me!"

Faye's eyebrows jumped into high arches on her forehead at the accusation. She sighed, posture slumping in defeat as she rolled her eyes.

"I never lied to you. So what if I _used_ you, Tom, it's not like you minded that much." There was a bite behind her words.

Tom didn't respond but his entire demeanour was fuming with confusion and anger.

And something else, Julian thought as he watched them interact. Was that the wounded sound of love in his voice or was it just his imagination?

Faye glared at Tom steadily before shifting her gaze to rest on Jenny. "Are you done here?" Faye snapped. Julian dropped his fists and sighed, gazing at Jenny.

"Yes, we're done." Jenny replied quietly, frowning lightly as she looked from Faye to Julian.

"Wonderful. Let's hit the road." Faye ordered and glared at Julian when he didn't move. "You're all I came here for, Julian."

"Wait. That's it? You're just going to leave?" Tom demanded, startled.

Julian sent a sly look at the guy. Was he really that dumb? What other reason would Faye have for hanging around if it wasn't solely to bring Julian back?

"You accused me of using you! That's the most lowest of low insults you could possibly throw in my face, Tom! I don't _use_ people for fun! Lord knows I had my own share of being used to last me an eternity and I swore to never do that to anyone else," Faye exploded, visibly shaking.

"She's right." Julian agreed as he sent another longing glance at Jenny before striding across the gym to Faye's side. "It's not in her nature to use people."

"Don't you even _think_ about getting involved!" Tom spat, pointing a warning finger to Julian's amusement. His hazel eyes fixed back on Faye. "I trusted you with everything, Faye. I let you into my home..." Tom broke off, hurt etched into his handsome features.

Faye pursed her lips, distractedly watching the other members of the group saunter fearfully into the gym. She turned and looked up at Julian expectantly before looking at Tom again.

"We'll talk once you've cooled down."

"No, we'll sort this out right here and right now..."

"No, Tom, we won't." Faye cut him off curtly. "Words said in anger are never meant. Think about it." She added, narrowing her eyes at him before strolling toward the doors, Julian in stride beside her.

They were silent as they walked through the dark hallways and finally stepped outside into the crisp night air.

"So what's the verdict?" Faye sighed heavily.

"She wants time to think." Julian shrugged in reply.

"I thought so." Faye muttered.

Julian wallowed in the unfamiliar sensation of the gravel crunching under his boots and the refreshing air biting into his lungs. His senses were altered, different. He could smell things and feel things... better.

Because everything was solid here, Julian reminded himself. Unlike his world where beauty was fleeting and things seemed to fade, here on Earth it was a completely different story. The road he was walking on wouldn't transform into smooth ice and the moon in the sky wouldn't magically become blocked out by an elemental blizzard. The colours were permanent, the air definite. Real.

Julian lowered his gaze to Faye a while later. His legs were beginning to ache, as much as he wanted to pretend it was just his imagination.

"Why are you so quiet?"

"I'm thinking." Faye replied bluntly.

"About what?"

"Well, good golly gosh, Julian, I don't know," Faye turned to him impatiently. "Maybe about where the hell we're going to take shelter and what we're going to eat."

"Don't get haughty with me." Julian warned quietly.

Faye threw her hands up in mock surrender before hugging herself and picking up the pace. Julian watched her curiously for another moment. He'd never seen her look so forlorn before. It was slightly daunting – this was her territory, after all.

Julian paused when Faye spun around to face him suddenly. "Stay here. Try not to attract too much attention to yourself."

"Where are you going?" Julian frowned, sending a cold look toward the pub up ahead. Drunk people were spilling onto the street, thudding music vibrating through the walls. "Faye..."

"I'm going for a drink. What do you think, Julian?" Faye snorted at his expression and waded through the drunkards into the pub.

Swallowing down a couple of nasty words Julian leaned back against the wall, watching the pub wearily as he waited. Ten minutes later he straightened up, resolving to literally fetch Faye and drag her from the pub himself. He'd taken only a few steps when Faye's white clad figure appeared from the entrance and she turned in his direction. Casting a swift glance over her shoulder Faye bolted down the street toward him.

"Come on!" She gasped when she reached him and steered him into one of the dark alleys that opened up to the road on the other side of the block.

"What are you running away from?" Julian arched his eyebrows at her, shaking her off irritably.

"A mob of bankrupt, peeved-off guys." Faye said and flashed him a cheeky grin in the dark. "I never thought I'd say this but I'm glad I was a street-rat. People still neglect their coins like way back when. Let's go find us a roof, shall we?"


	10. The Bet

**A/N**:_ I really enjoyed writing this chapter. I just hope my readers appreciate my sense of humour! Regardless, it is what it is. I'll write more Jenny, I promise. She's one of the lead characters after all. __**Bad**__ Faye for trying to steal Jenny's spotlight, bad, bad Faye!_

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Julian watched white pedals of snow drifting from the overcast sky and cover the earth in a cold sheet. His mood had turned morose in the last couple of weeks as the festive season blinked to life around him.

Faye managed to get caught up in it, gushing over the irritating Christmas lights wherever they went. In the small complex of modernized villas where Faye managed to settle them into, bright lights in rainbow colours decorated the houses outside and a big pine tree in the middle of the complex was decorated with so many fairy lights it nearly hurt his eyes. There were holly berry wreaths on all the doors and the world seemed to exist in a blur of greens and reds. He'd resolved to choke the next Santa he came across, it was like an apocalypse of bearded fat men in red suits and he was fed up with their constant 'ho ho ho'.

Their neighbours' visits ceased at Julian's inhospitality since they first moved in and Faye blamed his lack of civil social skills. It annoyed him when she would send him next door to borrow a cup of sugar or a bowl of flour even though he knew perfectly well that they had more than enough in the cupboards. He could simply refuse but the silent treatment Faye offered him afterward wasn't pleasant and it would eventually get to him.

He sighed heavily, pulling his feet up onto the window bunk and glaring out the window at the choir singing Christmas carols as they made their way from house to house in slow painful agony. He hated this. He hated the world. The people, the food, the villa, the TV. Hell, at times he even hated Faye.

Every fibre of his being burned with excruciating desire and the longing to catch a mere glimpse of Jenny was driving him insane. He'd never been parted from her before; he'd always been in the shadows watching her, following her, protecting her. She was always in his sight.

Her image of that night in the gym when he was resurrected was etched into his very soul. He played the vision over and over in his mind but to his complete frustration the sweet sound of her voice would be fleeting in his memory, leaving him only with the knowledge of the words she'd spoken.

Julian dropped his forehead against the cool glass with a thud and glared menacingly at the world outside. How much longer was he going to have to wait for her to make up her mind? He could feel the threads of self control begin to unravel inside of him. He could go over to her house and just have a look to see if she was alright. She would never know he was there. She never did.

"I sent a text to the peeps to wish them a merry Christmas from both of us." Faye's voice drifted toward him from the warmth of the living room.

Julian sighed again. He couldn't even use the phone to call Jenny. Not because he didn't know what he would say to her but because Faye was always a step ahead of him. "What are you going to do, breathe down the phone like a pervert?" Faye had teased. "No, I'm going to talk to her." Julian hadn't been impressed. "And say what, Julian? Hey, Jenny, I decided I'm tired of waiting so I'm coming over? Trust me, Julian, she needs the space".

"I swear if you sigh one more time I'm going to strangle you." Faye quipped and Julian turned to give her a look.

"You depress everything you come into contact with, you know." Faye replied to his blazing glare. "It's Christmas Eve. Can't you just pretend to forget about her for one night?"

Julian smirked at her. "You have no idea what she means to me, do you?"

"Obviously not." Faye rolled her eyes at him. "Still. 'Tis the season to be jolly. Christmas is a very special part of the year."

"Religion and I don't mix." Julian said flatly.

Faye burst into laughter despite the seriousness of the situation. "Right. How about you get that shadow butt over here so I can kick it in a round of poker?"

"Are you challenging me?" Julian perked up involuntarily. Damn, he hated that she could bribe him so easily though at the same time he appreciated her gesture. He needed some distraction from his mind before he really did lose it.

"Winner gets all the pudding. Loser has to run down the street naked."

"Are you sure you want to set the stakes that high?" Julian asked incredulously.

Faye smiled confidently. "I'm the Master of poker, Julian. Now get over here."

They settled across from one another on the living room carpet, the flames in the fireplace casting shadows across the room. Julian grinned sadistically as Faye clumsily shuffled the deck of cards.

"I'll give you one more chance to take a rain check on this." Julian offered sincerely.

"Please, I am so going to win this." Faye said, biting her tongue as she neatened up the deck of cards and grinned back at him. "I have something you don't."

"What's that? A soul?" Julian smirked.

"You'll see." Faye smiled secretively.

Two hours of folding, losing, winning, losing some more, winning the blinds and folding repeatedly, Julian thought he had the game in the bag. He glanced from the cards in his hands to the cards spread on the floor between them to Faye's small stack of poker chips. Sending another satisfied look at the high flush in his possession, Julian reeled Faye in by betting small.

Faye raised the bet. Julian called. The last card was placed onto the floor with a queer certainty. Julian grinned maliciously at the thought of Faye stripping down and running down the freezing snow littered street. Faye watched in dismay as his hand pushed a stack of poker chips to the mounting piles in the middle.

"All in." Julian said and his smile deepened at the startled look on Faye's face.

"Bastard." Faye mumbled as she pushed her remaining stack of chips to the middle. "Call."

Julian spread out his cards with a flourish and Faye sucked on her lip as she stared wearily at the hand he'd been playing.

"It's all about skill, baby." Julian stretched his body taught tiredly, glancing at the clock on the wall surprised to find it was past midnight already. "So, Master of poker. What is it that you have and I don't?"

Faye puckered her lips, gaze darting from the cards in front of her to Julian's and then to meet his gaze evenly. She broke out in a sweet smile and laid her cards out before him neatly. Julian did a double take at the four Aces staring back at him.

"It's called pure luck, baby." Faye imitated his tone of voice and nodded her head in the direction of the door. "Go on then. We had a deal."

Julian blinked back at her and glanced from the cards to her quietly triumphant expression before letting out a groan. "Damn it. How was I to know you were this good?" Julian grinned in amusement as he pulled off his black long sleeved shirt.

"What game do you think I won hands-down to create you in the first place?" Faye arched her eyebrows as she leaned back against the couch behind her, observing his movements as he pulled off his socks and unbuckled his belt. Julian laughed at her response and wiggled himself out of his jeans. He paused, catching the appreciate look in her gaze.

"Wouldn't you rather have me stay?" He grinned.

Faye blinked, startled, then erupted into a fit of laughter. "I'm allowed to dwell in the glory of my own work, you know. What point is there in painting a masterpiece if you're not going to sit back and appreciate its splendour?"

Julian got to his feet and smiled mockingly. "You're telling me you don't want a piece of this?"

Faye held his gaze steadily, cheeks flushed pink in the firelight. "Stop stalling and get out there."

This time it was Julian's laughter that filled the villa as he headed outside, Faye mumbling some inaudible insults mingled with compliments under her breath as she followed him to the doorstep.

Julian walked leisurely down the street, ignoring the chill stinging his bare skin and the freezing road turning his feet numb. No one was out and about at this hour, especially not in this cold weather, though he spotted a couple of people peek at him curiously from the warmth of their homes.

An unwavering grin was on his face when he finally reached the end of the street and walked back toward their villa. He felt his grin broaden when he spotted Faye standing in the doorway aiming at him a video camera she'd mysteriously 'found' unattended in a park a week ago.

Julian heard a loud thudding nearby and looked in the direction of the noise only when he heard his name squealed. Their neighbours were standing at their lounge window, waving to get his attention, both pretty girls blushing excitedly. He smiled confidently and gave an arrogant little wave toward them. Faye giggled as he stepped past her into the villa.

"What spurred this random act of insanity on?" Faye asked lightly, watching him through the camera lens as she kicked the door shut behind them.

"I lost a bet." Julian responded with a sly grin.

Faye burst out in laughter and turned the camera off, shaking her head. "Damn it, Julian. You're so _perfect_ it's almost scary."

"Suffer no illusion, Faye. I don't like to lose and I rarely do. If you weren't who you are, you'd be dead right now." Julian said quietly, eyes sparking like blue coals at her.

"Oh. That just killed it. Thanks, Julian." Faye's smile disappeared and disappointment dripped like venom from her voice. Julian watched her promptly storm from the room leaving him alone with the haunting reminder that the only other person to ever beat him at any game was Jenny.


	11. Jenny's Christmas Revelation

**A/N**:_ I know, this chapter is pathetically short but I'd rather spend more time on Jenny x Julian and Faye x Julian. Heh. I like writing Julian, that's why. But just so we don't forget about the other stars in the story... heeeeeere's Jenny! _

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It had taken Jenny more than a week to be confident that Julian wasn't stalking her and that she wouldn't bump into him around the next corner. Of course she'd still expected it to happen. There was always the slight chance...

Her nerves had been shot for a while, waiting in tense anticipation for him to appear outside of school or, when winter holidays arrived, to catch him watching her outside her house. She'd been paranoid that he would - she'd been convinced that he would. However, she'd been wrong.

Tom mentioned still being in contact with Faye. Jenny couldn't blame him for still having feelings for the shadow girl, though she supposed it was easier for her to accept this fact now that Julian had reappeared on the scene.

According to Tom, Faye was on the other side of town though she was vague on where exactly she resided. Tom didn't ask about Julian, and Faye never seemed to mention him either. The only way Jenny knew for certain that Julian was still on Faye's side was from the text message she received from an anonymous number on Christmas eve, wishing her a merry Christmas from both of them.

For the first time in her life, Jenny found that Christmas day was unbearably slow. It wasn't until she admitted to herself that it was because she was waiting, hoping, for more - more than an impersonal text message. A phone call would have been nice; even some eccentric gift would have been welcomed with open arms.

But this is what I wanted, Jenny scolded herself quietly. Time to think, space to breathe... she needed it especially because this was Julian she was dealing with. She'd never contemplated being with someone else before and she thought she had to put a lot of thought into it before leaping blindly into things. Especially because it was Julian.

Though his absence and non-existent contact with her was beginning to play games on her mind. Was he really even here? The night at the dance when she stood face to face with him seemed like no more than a fading dream...maybe it was nothing but a dream. Maybe she was delusional, maybe the traumatic event of his death was finally beginning to raise the side-effects in her state of mind.

In a brief instant of insanity, Jenny seized her phone and dialled Tom's number. She cursed under her breath when the line came back busy. She tried again a moment later and to her relief, the phone rang on the other end.

"Hello."

"Tom, hi! Merry Christmas." Jenny said cheerfully.

"Hi, Jenny. Merry Chris... didn't I call you this morning to wish you merry Christmas?" Tom sounded confused.

"Ah, ha ha, you might of..." Jenny trailed off, her cheerfulness fading as she curled the phone cord around her finger. "I was wondering if you could give me Faye's number so I can send her Christmas cheer."

"Oh, hang on," Tom's voice responded. Jenny waited and heard a distinct click. "Hello?" Tom's voice came back hurriedly.

"I'm here." Jenny frowned in confusion.

"Oh, heck no, your mom finally got three-way calling?" Faye's voice gasped.

Tom chuckled lightly in response and Jenny felt her face go bright red and her heart made a sickening thud in her chest. Great. "Jenny wanted to talk to you."

"Oh?" Faye's voice responded, surprised. "Hi, Jenny."

"Hi, Faye... I just wanted to tell you merry Christmas, that's all." Jenny said feebly.

"Well, thanks. Merry Christmas to you, too. How's yours been so far anyway?"

Trust Faye to want to strike up a pleasant conversation in the most awkward of moments. Jenny wanted to melt into the floor. Was she actually _chasing_ Julian?

"It's been good. We stayed up until midnight as usual to open our presents, and we've been stuffing ourselves all day today." Jenny replied vaguely.

"Mrs. Thornton makes the best ham dish and fruit cakes." Tom added and Faye chuckled lightly.

"Sounds good. I'd be cheeky and invite myself over for lunch if I didn't have to babysit." Faye replied and laughed even harder when Tom responded in surprise. "You're babysitting someone's kid on _Christmas_?"

"Ah, that's not what I meant exactly. But anyway," Faye snorted. "You all got onto Santa's good kiddies list, right?"

Jenny listened half heartedly as Tom explained what he'd gotten his parents for Christmas and Jenny briefly filled them in on her own gifts.

"So how has your Christmas been, Faye?" Jenny asked in an attempt to be nice.

There was a moment of hesitation. "It's been different. I mean, different as in no big roast, no family, no presents."

"Are you serious? You must be so bored." Tom exclaimed his surprise, although Jenny wasn't all that shocked. Did Shadow Men celebrate Christmas at all? She had her doubts but there was an edge of resentment in Faye's voice.

"Bored? Heck no, I've got entertainment like you wouldn't believe even if I told you." Faye's voice changed again as she laughed heartily. "But... yeah. Ah..." Her voice trailed off when there was an ugly hoarse cough from somewhere in the background. "Just hang on a sec." Faye said to them.

"Are you okay? You sound like a sick dog on its last." Faye's voice was muffled over the phone as she spoke to someone else.

Jenny listened intently, curious to make out what was going on. Faye's voice was completely at odds from what it had been moments before; coloured with worry and fear, and a touch of hysteria. "Hey, I ah... I've got to run out to the store to get some meds, right so I'll see you guys later..." Faye said distractedly before the line went dead.

"That was weird." Tom mumbled and hung up, having forgotten Jenny on the other end of the line.

Frowning, Jenny replaced the receiver in its cradle and stared at it blankly for a moment. Meds? As in medicine? Jenny didn't know much but she didn't think shadow men could get sick.

She still didn't have confirmation on whether she was losing her mind or not. She knew Julian was there in town, but the part of her that was convinced she was going mad was stronger than the rational voice telling her she actually would _be_ mad to go find him.

Still. Jenny had to know. Even if it was only to catch a glimpse of him. Resolving to get Tom to find out where Faye was staying, Jenny decided to call it a day.

**A/N**: _Okay. So I decided to call it a day! Reviews are more than welcome ____ I won't be mean like some of the writers are and say I'm not posting unless I get reviews. Because that's just blackmail! Besides, I'm curious to see where this goes... ___


	12. Hungry Julian

Faye watched Julian wearily where he lay slumped on the couch like a sack of potatoes, unaware of her piercing gaze on him. She watched the steady rise and fall of his chest. The clock on the wall ticked the seconds away. The fire crackled comfortingly in the fireplace. The rest was blissful silence.

Her worries about actually getting a job and earning money to support them had diminished into thin air when Julian nearly convulsed on Christmas after going into a horrendous coughing fit. She had no idea what illness it had been though she knew it was the stupid bet they'd made that was to blame. She should have thought it through. He was a shadow man in essence, but his body was as mortal as her own and if anything, he was more susceptible to disease and drifting illnesses than she was. She was adapted to the world, her body immune to most sickness. His was as frail as that of a newborn.

Faye kicked herself mentally once again. Stupid, stupid Faye. She could imagine the shadow men rolling about in manic laughter. She could have killed Julian with her ignorance and negligence.

Once his coughing fit had faded and she was certain he was still breathing, Faye had bolted from the villa to the chemist. She would have broken into the neighbours' car and stolen it to get there faster, had she known how to drive the damn thing. It had taken her ten minutes to run into town, snatch an armful of medicines from the chemist shelves and then running even faster back home when security attempted to arrest her. She hadn't been thinking straight to steal so openly and worrying about paying or not being caught had been the furthest from her mind.

She'd dosed Julian with the medicine, hoping wistfully that she didn't give him an overdose in her frantic attempt to rescue him. For the first couple of days it had been touch and go – New Years passed by without her acknowledgement of the snapping display of fireworks throughout the night.

Julian's breathing had seemed to physically hurt him and he suffered hallucinations for several days. He was heavily drugged and dazed most of the time, his stomach turned every time she tried to get something into him. Faye had found herself thinking at one stage, _Jenny is going to hate me_, a random thought that hurt as much as amused her. If Julian died, she would hate herself too.

It was a relief that his fever had broken two days ago, eliminating the cold fear from her heart that he was going to die. Faye hadn't paid much attention to the persistent phone calls from Tom during this time. She wanted him to comfort her and reassure her that it was going to be fine, maybe even to lend her a helping hand. But Faye hadn't trusted herself to speak to anyone.

Watching him sleeping now, Faye knew his body was recuperating well. The shallow gurgling in his chest was gone and his breath sounded as smooth as ice. In. Out. Soothing. Comforting.

He was still weak from lack of substance but Faye now felt more confident that he was going to pull through this unscarred. She could tell he was quietly loathing what he was – he'd never been sick before and being rendered that weak and lethargic must have crushed his pride.

Faye sighed tiredly, rubbing her sleep with her fingers. She nearly jumped when the phone started to ring beside her. Sending an alarmed glance toward Julian, she snatched it up and paused.

Julian stirred slightly in his sleep. She put the receiver to her ear and stood up, walking toward the kitchen.

"Hello?"

"Hi... Faye?"

"Yes, who is this?" Faye asked quietly, boiling a pot of coffee and cursing inwardly when she saw the sugar was nearly finished again. For a moment she was so wrapped up in pondering how she was going to get more sugar without emptying the neighbours' cupboards that she didn't hear the response on the phone. "Pardon?"

"Ah, it's Jenny. " The voice sounded uncertain and hesitant.

"Oh. Oh!" Faye said, startled. "Hi! How are you? What's up?"

"I was wondering if we could talk."

"Sure, go ahead."

"No, I mean face to face." Jenny said uneasily.

"Oh." Faye said, stunned for a moment. "Okay. When and where?"

"Well... I thought I could come over to your place, if that would be okay?"

"What, you mean like now?" Faye asked, alarmed as she glanced at the dirty dishes and empty McDonalds packets strewn about the kitchen.

"No, I mean, whenever is more suitable for you, I know I kind of jumped this on you..."

"No, no, no. Not at all. Geez, Jenny, you don't know how long I've been waiting for this call." Faye blew out her breath, thinking wistfully how Julian had longed for this moment to come. He was driving her absolutely bonkers with his constant sulking. "Ah, when can you be here?"

"I'm actually in town at the mall at the moment. I'm just finishing some shopping with my mother and then I'll be on my way."

"Right. Okay. That's fine. I just need to... tidy this pig-sty so you can actually get in the friggin' door. But that's fine, seriously. Ah, we're at the Rosinda Villa complex, it's the last exit from the freeway leading out of Vista Grande. It's the only complex in a five mile radius from the beach. Give me a call when you're outside and I'll let you in." Faye explained, frowning slightly at the sharp intake of breath from Jenny when she said 'we'.

"Yeah, okay. I'll see you in a bit, Faye."

"Cheers." Faye hung up and set herself the near impossible task to clean up the villa.

She could hardly believe Jenny was actually coming over. Faye tried to be quiet as she packed the dishes into the dusty dishwasher and stuffed all the litter scattered throughout the place into a plastic bag. She crunched her face in disgust when she had to literally yank a glass off the coffee table where it had nearly moulded into the table from its spilt contents. Faye shuddered. She really needed to get over her laziness and start to clean. It was what she was good at after all, having learnt how to clean spotless since before she could properly speak.

Faye finished cleaning up in record time and was inspecting the cupboards for snacks and beverages she could possibly offer to their guest when Julian appeared in the doorway to the kitchen behind her.

"What happened?" Julian shook frosty white hair from his face and squinted at her through sleep encrusted deep blue eyes.

"Oh, ah..." Faye trailed off, closing one set of empty cupboards before yanking another pair open. Empty. "Oh no." She opened the next set. Empty again. "Oh, no, no." She opened the last set and spun around to face him. "You pig!"

"What?" Julian asked, startled at the unprovoked insult.

"You and your damn stomach! Do you have worms or something? Bloody hell, there's _no food_." Faye exploded, her temper flaring higher when he gave her an amused smile.

"I've got a healthy appetite." Julian offered as means of explanation.

"Where do you think we're supposed to get more food, Julian? We can't sponge off the neighbours all the time and there's no way I'm going to try and shoplift an entire grocery list! We don't have any money, and as of next month, if I don't get enough cash in time, we're officially out on the street. Our lease expires at the end of this month! How do you expect us to survive when you can barely leave food in the cupboard for more than a day?" Faye was nearly screaming in frustration.

"But look at me, I'm nearly skin and bone." Julian grinned.

"Gahiji was skin and bone, Julian. You're... you're..."

"Perfect?" Julian inquired mockingly and straightened at the dagger look she sent him. "Go ahead then, hate me if you must."

"Gaa, you're _impossible_!" Faye spat at him, slamming the cupboard doors closed angrily and yanking open the nearly empty fridge.

"I've been meaning to ask you, Faye." Julian's voice had turned from playfully mocking to dangerously soft and Faye turned to face him, slightly daunted.

She blinked in surprise when he seized both her wrists in his hands and pulled her toward him.

"What are you hiding from me?"

"Don't touch me!" Faye shot back hotly, attempting to pull away from him but his grasp was like steel. She knew Julian was deadly when he got into these random moods and she wanted to make a 

mad dash for it before things got out of hand. She gritted her teeth when his grip tightened and she used all her weight as she leaned back but Julian didn't budge.

"You're going to hurt yourself." Julian warned, watching her in amusement.

"You're the one who's going to get hurt if you don't _let go_!" Faye shouted back in frustration.

Julian's smile tipped her off and she changed her struggle to a full on attack, throwing her whole weight into him. To her surprise Julian hadn't expected this change of strategy so soon and they both toppled over with her momentum. They hit the kitchen floor hard, evoking a string of profanities from Julian and a yelp of pain from her.

"No, don't... get off me..." Faye spat when Julian pinned her hands to the floor beside her, hovering over her, his expression dangerous.

Faye stopped struggling abruptly, knowing she would end up with bruises more because she was trying to fight him off than him actually hurting her. "Let go or I'll bite you." Faye threatened.

"I'm not playing around, Faye. What are you hiding from me?" Julian demanded.

Faye blinked back up at him and held her breath, pulling a face back at him. Julian's gaze narrowed and something ugly flashed in the depths of the vibrant blue pools fixed on her."It's about Jenny, isn't it?"

Faye replied with a silent glare.

"Is it about Tom?" Julian demanded and anger swept across his sculpted features when Faye diverted her gaze and cleared her throat nervously. "What? What is it? Did she go back to him, is that it?"

When Faye looked at him again her gaze was nearly as piercing as his. With a swift move backed by pumping adrenaline, Faye drew her knees up between them and pushing with her entire body she lifted him off her and threw him onto his side. She wrenched her wrists free from his grasp and sat up, looking back at his vaguely impressed expression.

"Stuff off, Julian." Faye muttered, slapping her palms onto her knees and rising to her feet, suppressing the temptation to get a kick into his stomach while he was down.

Faye turned to leave and halted in her tracks when she almost smacked into his chest.

"I want the truth." Julian demanded.

Faye sighed heavily and met his gaze evenly. She hesitated, mind reeling for an escape route. Trickery wasn't going to get her out of this one, she knew.

"I don't think you can handle the truth." Faye replied evenly, taking a weary step back as she folded her arms around herself defensively.

"I don't think you have any solid ground to judge me on that." Julian snapped.

"Ha. Says the Shadow Man." Faye spat back.

They glared at each for another moment before Faye caved in. "I don't think they're back together. I wouldn't really know because I don't go around harassing them and I haven't seen them since the night of the winter dance. They're still too... nervous to actually see either of us again and I don't want to push things by pitching up on their doorstep and asking 'where's the party at.'" Faye sniffed and looked away. "But you'd better hope and pray they're not because I swear you'll have to restrain me from killing that girl."

Julian's expression was indifferent to her words but his voice rang with an edge.

"I didn't think you cared so much about me." Julian said softly. "Regardless of your pity fondness of me, I don't appreciate you threatening to hurt Jenny."

Faye smirked in response. "Don't flatter yourself, Julian. I'm not that fond of you."

"Don't play me for a fool, Faye." Julian's voice turned cold and his eyes grew stormy. He was in a fickle mood today but it didn't deter her own swirling emotions. "I know there's something going on, why else would you constantly be in contact with that... that... imbecile."

Faye blinked and arched her eyebrows. "I beg your pardon?"

"Don't underestimate my intellect by denying it. You've been on the phone with that arrogant git nearly every day since we booked into this damned prison..."

"It's a villa and I had to pay a shit load of cash to get it for us." Faye snapped indignantly.

"Cash that you pick-pocketed." Julian pointed out. "It's not like you earned it fairly. I don't like this place."

"Because it's on the other side of town from your beloved little blondie?" Faye fumed. "Trust me, the distance will do you good. How else do you expect her to trust you're not going to stalk her and seduce her again? Besides, we both know that's exactly what you would resort to if it weren't for me..." Faye trailed off when something dreadfully resembling realization dawned on Julian's face.

The silence between them was deafening. Faye waited for the inevitable scene that was bound to go down and attempted to brace for it and trying in vain to ignore the sickening churning in her stomach.

"You... no." Julian shook his head in complete bewilderment. "No, you wouldn't..."

Faye looked back at him expectantly. Waiting.

"You and Tommy?"

Faye snorted."_Tommy_? Are you two that close that you would call him that? You're sick!"

Julian blinked at the sudden accusation and his temper took flame, blue eyes swimming with rage.

"Faye..."

"Oh just leave it, Julian. I can't talk to you about it. Anyway, you didn't see me freak out when I found out you have an obsession with Jenny, so you have no right to make a fuss about this."

Faye looked up sharply when a half-hearted chuckle sounded up from Julian's lips. She watched uneasily as he ran both hands unceremoniously through his thick frosty white mop of hair, leaving it in complete disarray when he dropped his hands to his sides and subconsciously clenched and unclenched his fists. His jaw was set and the corners of his lips turned down in either disgust or contempt, she couldn't tell which.

Her heart was pounding up her chest and her head throbbed with tension. Adrenaline soared through her veins and the instinct to run was nearly overwhelming. Faye wondered if she would feel like this if she was faced with a starved tiger.

_Run, get the hell away from him, run, run, run!_ A voice was screaming in the back of her mind but the flicker of primal fear that Julian's aura evoked from her was strong enough to root her to the spot. Besides it would only make things worse if she actually did make a run for it – Julian would only chase after her and she knew she couldn't outrun him anyway.

Faye fixed her gaze on a crack in one of the tiles on the floor, every muscle locked in tense anticipation. She thought for a moment she was going to faint when she heard him let out a long deep breath.

"How long has this been going on?"

Faye shrugged in response.

"You don't... actually like him, do you? You're just playing with him, right?"

Faye chewed her lip and risked glancing up at him briefly. She cringed when his gaze burned back at her in carefully controlled malevolence. She pushed down the temptation to lie, wondering for a brief moment if he was going to kill her.

"People aren't toys, Julian."

Julian turned so still that it made her want to cover her head and cower in a corner of the room. He stared back at her, frozen like a statue for what felt like forever. The tension in her body mounted to the extreme where she could feel herself begin to tremble. She couldn't look at him, fearful that if she did it would unleash the demon inside of him, and instead directed her attention back to the crack in the floor.

It was so _wrong_ that she should be afraid of him. She created him after all. God didn't fear His creations so neither should she. He should be afraid of her, by all means, but then again she wasn't God and Julian wasn't exactly human either. For a fleeting moment she thought about scratching his eyes out – she could feel them boring into her and it nearly wanted to drive her insane.

"Hell... Julian... just say _something_..." Faye gasped breathlessly, frowning hard.

"Is he going to take _everything_ away from me?"

Faye's head snapped up at the agitated cry of desperation. Her mind stalled as she watched his retreating back before common sense screamed in her head that he was heading for the front door. Her breath caught in her throat. She didn't need to guess where he was going or what he was planning to do.


	13. FINALLY!

**a/n:** _According to some sources I'm not staying true to Julian's character. He's not as 'evil' as he is portrayed in the books, although I thought I was doing well with writing him as the bad-ass who has a heart (__**shrugs away the memory of the really sappy gooey softy mushy Julian parts that have been deleted**__). If you pick up anything that you don't think Julian would say or do in his circumstances, __**please**__ mention it in your review. I'm doing this for your entertainment as much as my own (__**me bows down humbly**__) and thank you for taking the time to actually read and review in the first place!_

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Nervously tucking a few loose strands of blonde hair behind her ear, Jenny gazed hesitantly at the decorative steel grey gate before her. There was an intercom to her left and Jenny pretended to press one of the buttons, giving a casual wave as her mother pulled the car back onto the road. She waited until the car was out of sight before staring at the gate again.

"Okay. Just...stay calm. Don't get too excited now, Jenny." She scolded herself sternly as she pulled her mobile from her purse, vaguely relieved that she didn't possess a pocket mirror like Audrey. She would be fussing with her appearance the whole time and besides, Julian had seen her in much worse condition before.

The memory of Julian's vulnerable side that had greeted her when she'd woken up after nearly drowning warmed her now and gave her another surge of strength, feeding her confidence. This was right. She knew it and believed it with every bone in her body.

_And it's about time too_, a little voice whispered gleefully in the back of her mind as Jenny selected Faye's number from her contacts list. Having finally gained clarity on what she really wanted, she felt more certain about things to come than she had before.

A sudden hoot from behind made her jump and she nearly dropped her phone as she spun around and hurried out of the way of a car, the person behind the wheel giving her an impatient look. Cheeks flushing brightly, Jenny stood aside and watched the gate open automatically. Her gaze turned resentful as she watched the car drive past her into the complex.

Jenny pondered a moment if she should just slip inside while the gate was open, or if Faye wanted her to wait outside to come fetch her personally. Shrugging, Jenny opted for the first and stepped into the complex, dialling Faye's number and pressing the phone to her ear as she wandered a few feet inside. It was a really nice complex, the villas screamed of luxury and class. Jenny pursed her lips. Of course, only the best would do for Julian.

The phone rang endlessly on the other line and Jenny felt slightly daunted. What if Faye had gone out and she was stuck in here? The idea of climbing over the gate wasn't enticing but knocking on a stranger's door and asking to be let out with the risk of being questioned how she'd gotten inside at all was equally humiliating.

Jenny lowered her mobile and cut off the call, wondering if she ought to call Tom to track down Faye. She wandered a few more steps and halted in her tracks when Faye came rushing around the corner in front of her.

"Hi... Faye, are you all right?" Jenny frowned, startled at the girl's pale face.

Faye hiccupped in total surprise, frozen on the spot as she stared back at Jenny. For a moment she wondered if Faye had forgotten she was coming over. Jenny's arms flailed, startled, when Faye abruptly threw her arms around her. "Jenny! Oh, thank you God, thank you God..." Faye sobbed.

Jenny's eyes widened in confusion and she held Faye back naturally. The girl was trembling from head to foot and her sobs tugged at Jenny's heart.

"It's okay... Faye, what's wrong? What happened?" Jenny asked, genuinely worried.

Jenny paused when Faye quickly disengaged herself, wiping furiously at her tears and drying her wet cheeks. Faye seemed to shake herself, sniffed hard once and linked her arm through Jenny's.

"You have no idea what good timing you've got, Jenny," Faye swallowed hard. "I never thought I'd be so happy to see you, I swear!"

Frowning, Jenny opened her mouth to question Faye again as she was firmly steered around the corner. Her words caught in her throat and her eyebrows shot up in weary surprise when Julian came storming right toward them. As she perfectly recalled, his unearthly beauty was like a bucket of icy water dumped over her; a shock to her senses. She struggled to regain her self control and not to stare at him like an idiot.

Jenny felt a momentary chill at the sight of him – burning blue eyes seething with something dark, a deep angry frown knitting his eyebrows together; there was purpose in his powerful stride and the expression on his godly chiselled face was murderous.

She watched his demeanour transform when his gaze rested on her. The tension in his shoulders fled, his features softened to a mixture of surprise and relief, his fiery pace slowed until he came to a halt right in front of them.

Jenny ignored the instant wave of gleeful revenge when it appeared Julian didn't even note Faye's presence at all. She blamed it on the touch of jealousy she felt whenever Tom would forget about her when Faye was around.

"Jenny, hi."

"I didn't come at a bad time, did I?" Jenny asked nervously, unable to tear her gaze from his.

"No, not at all." Julian's voice was gentle and filled with warmth that was nearly as frightening as the coldness she knew he possessed. "I wasn't aware that you were going to stop by."

Jenny wondered if he was nervous. The white shirt he wore was wrinkled as though he'd just woken up and had no time to change; his dazzling blonde hair was in slight disarray and hung messily across his forehead. She watched him slide his hands into his jeans pockets, such a simple gesture but done with such silky smoothness that she couldn't tame the sudden erratic beat of her heart even if she tried. Any thought of Julian being nervous fled her mind when Faye's words cut through her.

"You might have known if you hadn't decided to wrestle and interrogate me." Faye retorted sharply in defence.

"What?" Jenny blinked, frowning at Faye who was still clinging onto her arm.

"I didn't _wrestle_ you. You tried to run away from me, Faye, you of all people ought to know how stupid that was." Julian retorted, an ominous note in his voice.

Faye blew out her breath, glancing back at Jenny with haunted eyes. "Let's not get into that right now, shall we? Come on, Jenny, I think you'll like our place."

Jenny felt uncomfortable when Faye didn't release her grasp on her arm and the uneasy realization that Faye was using Jenny as a shield was disturbing. The villa was spacious with rich mahogany furnishing and plush leather couches. It all screamed out high social status and made Jenny slightly envious of the rich lifestyle.

"So, what do you think?" Faye asked casually after giving Jenny a grand tour throughout the two bedroom villa.

"It's very nice." Jenny admitted, glancing admiringly at the thick ochre stained drapes around the bay-windows and the matching silk throw pillows scattered on the window bunk.

"So you like it then?"

"Yes. I could picture myself living in a place like this in the far off future." Jenny bit her lip uncertainly when Faye peeked at Julian pointedly.

"See, _Jenny_ likes it."

Jenny glanced at the stormy glare Julian cast toward Faye and she tensed involuntarily. Faye steered Jenny to the lounge and sat down on the couch beside her. Julian remained in the arched doorway, folding his arms across his chest and leaning gracefully against the doorframe. His aura permeated menace and the ferocious look in his sharp eyes radiated a primal fury that threatened to shake Jenny through to the core.

"Would you like some coffee?" Faye asked warmly.

"Oh...I'm not much of a coffee drinker." Jenny admitted.

"Hm. Julian mentioned that little fact in one of his many reminiscent memories of you."

Jenny shifted awkwardly, her cheeks heating up involuntarily. "What?"

"Faye, stop..." Julian's voice was frosty.

"But unfortunately I can't really offer you anything else but water, Jenny, seeing as the only thing we have in the kitchen that is consumable is our last pot of coffee and half a cup of sugar. Yours truly would be to blame for that," Faye gestured toward Julian briefly. "He's like a breathing garbage disposal with two legs, he devours everything he comes across without, of course, stopping to think that here on Earth he can't make food appear out of thin air at his very whim. But then again, he's not really worried about us starving to death because in the end it'll come down on my shoulders yet again to save the day."

Jenny could feel her eyes grow wide in surprise at the mounting resentment in Faye's voice and she looked from one to the other, startled and confused.

"If you're having it tough why didn't you come to me for help?" Jenny asked and stiffened at the bitter laugh that Faye let lose.

"Because I don't grovel and Julian is just too arrogant to even think of asking anyone for help, including me."

Jenny watched Faye tense when Julian straightened up.

"What's going on between you two?" Jenny asked uncertainly, trying to suppress the tingly sensation of fear growing inside of her. This wasn't going well at all.

"Ah, good question. Would you care to enlighten your girl or should I do the honours?" Faye demanded snidely, rising to her feet.

Jenny felt like curling herself into a ball and hiding from the rising tension in the room. Some part of her mind registered that a wave of cold air blasted briefly through the room, instantly turning the raging fire in the fireplace into nothing but glowing red coals and scorched hot wood. Faye noticed it too and there was a cocky expression of dismay on her face.

"Okay..." Faye sighed heavily. "Sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

Jenny cringed visibly. She wouldn't call Julian 'upset' – she'd never seen him so furious before and it froze her to the spot. She could barely breathe in the suddenly frigid air, and part of her wished Faye would shut up. It was as though the girl was purposely provoking Julian and Jenny didn't appreciate her efforts.

"You are getting on my last nerve." Julian bit each word off with such controlled loathing that Jenny could hardly stop herself from shuddering at the icicles scratching in his voice.

"Then I'll do us all a favour and get out of your hair. But please, allow me to remove myself." Faye shot back heatedly.

"You're not going anywhere." Julian's voice was awfully soft in comparison to what it had been a moment before.

"Then stop me. Go ahead, Julian, _stop me_." Faye spat back angrily and stormed from the room.

Julian didn't pursue her but he turned and watched her. "Faye!"

"I _hate_ you!" Faye's scream from the next room reached them and the sound of the front door slamming echoed off the walls, leaving them in abrupt silence.

Jenny wearily watched Julian tilt his head back, wearing a mask of indifference at the sudden heart-felt declaration before he turned to look at her. There was no trace of the rage she'd seen in him a second ago – instead his eyes were a soft deep blue that left her slightly breathless and a satisfied smile was plastered perfectly across his supple lips as he glided over and seated himself beside her with ease.

"You didn't deserve to witness that little dispute." Julian said, his voice sounding a sweet melody in her ears and Jenny felt her heart rear back to life.

"It's... is Faye going to be okay?" Jenny asked, worried that whatever was going on was very bad. Jenny wasn't exactly close to Faye but her impression from hearsay according to Tom was that Faye wasn't openly emotional, that she ought to be the role model for cool, calm and collected.

"Faye will be perfectly fine." The way Julian said her name made Jenny get the disturbing hint that someone else most certainly _wasn't_ going to be fine.

"You've had time. What is it that you have decided?" His voice chased the lingering fingers of unease from her mind.

Jenny looked up at him nervously. His eyes were dark with passion and she melted under their intensity. The wild impulse to wrap her arms around him and pull his lips down on hers was nearly stronger than her will. Jenny took a deep, steady breath. She wasn't going to just fall into his arms – she knew it was exactly what he expected and it was exactly what her body and heart was pleading her to do. But she didn't want to make him think she was easily influenced by her emotions, even though she knew full well she was.

_I realized that you were right about Tom and me not being an ideal couple. I thought you were being selfish but I was wrong, Julian. The time for me to move on to better things has been long overdue and it's my own insecurity of the unknown that stopped me from accepting that. I want to be with you._ She'd rehearsed it over and over, again and again that entire morning but now as she sat face to face with him, the words untangled and blurred into a disoriented mess in her head.

"Jenny," Julian pressed lightly, gingerly tilting her chin up with his fingers and holding her gaze evenly. "Who have you chosen?"

The unfairness of the situation suddenly crashed into her with such force that she physically jolted away from his touch, her breath catching in her aching chest. She had once thought it was unfair for Julian to force her to choose between her long-time, steady boyfriend and him, the wild exotic specimen that was obsessed with winning her over. It was only now, now that she had a different perspective on things, that she was able to see the situation Julian had been in all along.

He'd been obsessed with winning her over but what she had mistaken as malicious intent was anything but – he was helplessly in love with her against his will and his intention had been to swoon her, to awaken the emotions she felt stirring inside of her right that moment in response to his own.

Jenny reflected on the injustice of it all. She'd sworn herself to him and then locked him in a closet that she _knew_ he hated; he sacrificed himself to save her life and throughout her entire life, since that day in her grandfather's closet, he'd been watching over her like a guardian angel, protecting her from dangers she'd been oblivious to. And when he was resurrected Jenny had the nerve – the cheek – to ask him for _time_, which he had given to her without question and with no limit.

She could barely grasp how he could stay so in control, asking her so kindly, so _warmly_, what her decision was.

Julian had dropped his hand to hers, running his fingertips lightly across the back of her hand, tingles following in the wake of his touch. He watched her with placid eyes, patiently awaiting her answer.

A simple phrase drifted to her mind and she felt her tongue loosen at its own accord.

"All I refuse and thee I chuse." Jenny finally found her voice. This time as she said the words, she really did mean it, believed it with her very being.

A flicker of surprise danced through the indescribable blue eyes locked with her own. Jenny felt herself come undone when Julian leaned forward. His lips were warm and demanding, the kiss slow and sweet. She detected a gentle tremor of emotion in his lips and she gave herself up to the kiss without another thought.

**Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

**a/n**: _Not to gloat but I think this chapter ended off better than I expected... I had to get Faye out of the picture though, she was trying to steal Jenny's moment. I would have ended it off here but... then the fact of whether Julian kills Tom or not still remains hanging, so there might be a couple more chapters to follow sometime... not saying that he definitely will but you never know ;)_


	14. Last word

Hi everyone!

Please feel free to disregard my note at the end of the last chapter.

I have decided that it's best to leave the fic as is – it's a nice ending and I don't want to spoil it by rambling on and on.

If anyone is really interested in reading on or would like me to continue 'the adventures of Julian and Jenny' then please feel free to drop me a message or demand it in a review and I'll **happily** oblige.

P.S. I won't **actually** call my fics 'the adventures of Julian and Jenny'. **Really**, I'm more innovative than that. Heck_, __**I**_wouldn't read it if I named it that!


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